Clermont, Fla. --- In its first day partaking in the Spring Games in Clermont, Fla., the Minnesota State softball team picked up two wins. The Mavericks took down Indiana, Pa. in game one with a 2-0 victory, before picking of their second win of the day with an 8-3 victory over Slippery Rock.

With the two wins, the Mavericks elevate their overall record to 6-4.

In game one it took eight innings for the Mavericks to take down the Crimson Hawks. MSU's sophomore pitcher Libby Bemis [2-1] earned the win as she pitched a complete game gem and struck out 11 IUP batters which marks as a new career high.

Bemis found her self in a jam in the bottom of the second as the Crimson Hawks loaded the bases with one out. However, the Osceola, Iowa native closed the door on IUP, as she struck out the next two batters to close out the inning. 

MSU tallied just four hits in the seven innings as the Crimson Hawks freshman pitcher Lauren Zola [1-1] threw all eight innings as well and recorded three strikeouts of her own.

Since the game went into extras and the game was using international rules, both teams were allowed to begin each inning up to bat with a runner on second.

In the top of the eighth inning the Mavericks were at-bat and junior Ashley Thell started at second base and freshman McKenzie Paap was at the plate. In the at-bat IUP committed a passed ball which allowed Thell to move up to third base. Paap would eventually take a walk in her at-bat and swiped second base to give the Mavericks runners on third and second with zero outs. Senior Karli DesLauriers was due up next for MSU and she delivered the game-winning hit that brought home Thell and Paap to give the Mavericks a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth.

In the bottom half of the inning Bemis continued her impressive day as she shut the door on IUP and struck out two more batters.

In the Mavericks 8-3 win over Slippery Rock, the strong pitching continued on Day 1. Junior pitcher Coley Ries [4-3] threw a complete game and struck out 15 batters in the win, which has now propelled her to second all-time in career strikeouts at MSU. 

The Mavericks tallied three runs right away in the first inning after stringing together three hits and two walks. Junior Dana Mogren began the scoring with a bunt single that brought home senior Tatum Klein after she led-off the game with a single and a stolen base. Next batter up for MSU was Samantha Buhmann and she grounded out to the second baseman, but it was enough to bring McKenzie Paap to cross the plate. Mogren would later score the Mavericks third run after a failed pick-off attempt from SRU.

The score stayed the same until the bottom of the fourth when SRU was up to bat. The Rock scored two of their runs of the game in the inning as Stacey Herzog posted a two RBI single through the right side to bring home two SRU runners.

MSU scored five more runs in the final two innings of the game. In the sixth freshman Cori Kennedy singled up the middle to bring home Emily Bransky andJess Meidl to extend the Mavericks lead to 5-2.

In the final inning the Purple and Gold accumulated four more hits and pushed across three more runs. The inning was highlighted by Paap and Buhmann as each one recorded RBI double's in the final inning of play.

The Mavericks finished the game with 10 team hits in the win, as Paap, Mogren and Buhmann each finished with two hits apiece.

MSU will return to action on Sunday as it will take on Saint Joseph's [Ind.] at 12:00 p.m., before turning its attention to Saginaw Valley State at 2:00 p.m.