St. Cloud, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team split with Minnesota Duluth on Saturday afternoon in St. Cloud, Minn. at the Husky Dome. The Mavericks defeated the Bulldogs in game one 2-1 and junior Coley Ries became MSU's career strikeouts leader in the win. In game two, MSU fell 10-0 in five innings to UMD.

Heading into the game Ries was 14 strikeouts away from tying Kendra Huettl's 772 career strikeouts mark. The Mankato East product managed to pick up 16 in the win which now puts Ries at 774 to become MSU's all-time leader. Ries is now 12-4 on the season and she has struckout 12 or more batters in her last seven starts.

The Bulldogs Sam Hartmann [5-4] suffered the loss as she struckout six batters and yielded 10 hits, two walks and two earned runs. 

After a scoreless first inning, the Mavericks were the first ones to strike in the bottom of the second. Junior Ashley Thell doubled to right field with one out and would later score MSU's first run after freshman McKenzie Paap laced a RBI single to center field.

MSU's lead did not last too long though, as UMD quickly responded in the top half of third. The Bulldogs managed to load the bases with two outs and Sami Schnyder earned a bases loaded walk that scored Hannah Bloch. Ries was able to get out of the bases loaded jam when she struckout the Bulldogs next batter to end the inning.

Ries found herself in a bit of a jam in the top of the fifth as well when UMD had base runners on third and second with one out. However, Ries buckled down and struckout the Bulldogs next two batters to close out the inning.

The Mavericks were finally able to score their second run of the game in the bottom of the sixth. Sophomore Jess Meidl began the inning with a lead-off bunt single and was able to reach second base when Thell was able to move her over. A couple of batters later senior Karli DesLauriers singled to third base that allowed Meidl to advance to third. Next batter up was Paap and she struck again for MSU, as she hit the game-winning RBI single up the middle that scored Meidl from third.

Paap finished the game with two hits and two RBI, while Dana Mogren and Emily Bransky also recorded two hits apiece in the win.

In the second game of the day, the Mavericks fell 10-0 in five innings to the Bulldogs. Sophomore Libby Bemis [7-5] started for MSU and took the loss as she pitched 4.1 innings and struckout three batters, while allowing four hits, three walks and five earned runs. Senior Katie Koponen came in for Bemis and surrendered five earned runs and four hits. Cayli Sadler earned the win for the Bulldogs as she pitched all five innings and allowed just three hits.

UMD scored all 10 of its runs in the third and fourth innings. In the third, the Bulldogs scored four of their five runs when Becky Smith hit a bases loaded home run to center field. In the fourth, UMD pushed across five more runs as it recorded four hits and two walks.

After today's games the Mavericks own a 21-9 overall record and a 4-2 record in NSIC play.

MSU will have its home opener against Sioux Falls on Tuesday at the MSU Softball Diamond. Game times are set for 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.