Clermont, Fla. --- The Minnesota State softball team split its two games on Wednesday afternoon at The Spring Games in Clermont, Fla. The Mavericks defeated the Bloomsburg Huskies, 10-0 in six innings, before falling to #25 Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles in nine innings, 3-2.

In game one, the Mavericks defeated Bloomsburg 10-0 in six innings, as the Mavericks offense generated 12 base hits and four stolen bases.

Junior pitcher Coley Ries [7-3] earned the win after striking out seven batters and allowing just two hits in five innings of work. Senior Katie Koponen came in relief of Ries in the sixth and closed out the game for MSU. For the Huskies, Sarah Bortner [4-1] picked up her first loss of the season as she allowed four earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched.

The scoring started in the top of the third for the Mavericks when freshman McKenzie Paap reached base safely after an error from Bloomsburg which helped runners Karli DesLauriers and Tatum Klein cross the plate for two runs. 

In the fifth inning the Mavericks pushed across four more runs. Klein started the scoring after she singled home DesLauriers from second. Paap was due up next and she delivered a RBI single that led to Klein crossing the plate after she stole second base. The runs continued when junior Dana Mogren ripped a RBI single as well that brought Paap home. A couple of batters later, sophomore Kara Lattery recorded a RBI double that led to Mogren crossing home plate.

MSU was not done yet though as it tallied four more runs in the top of the sixth. Senior Emily Bransky led-off the inning with a single and then a stolen base. DesLauriers notched her third hit of the game as she singled home Bransky from second. A few batters later, Paap tallied a two-RBI single as DesLauriers and Klein each scored on the play. The final run of the inning came off the bat of junior Samantha Buhmann as she hit a solo homerun.

DesLauriers finished the game 3-of-3 and one RBI, along with three runs scored. Klein also tallied three hits, three runs scored and one RBI, while Paap added two hits and a team-high two RBI.

In game two against #25 Southern Indiana the Mavericks out hit the Screaming Eagles 10-6, but left 12 runners on base in the loss.

Sophomore Libby Bemis [4-2] suffered the loss for MSU as she pitched all nine innings and struckout 11 batters, while allowing just one earned run. USI starting pitcher, Haylee Smith [3-4], pitched all nine innings as well and tallied three strikeouts.

The Screaming Eagles struck first in the game after Lexi Reese hit a solo home run in the top of the second. MSU immediately tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the second when Tatum Klein got out on a fielder's choice that let freshman Cori Kennedy cross the plate.

After a couple of quiet innings from both teams, the Mavericks took its first lead of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Samantha Buhmann recorded a RBI single that brought in Klein from second to give MSU a 2-1 lead heading into the top of the sixth.

MSU's lead didn't last very long though, as USI tied the game back up at 2-2 when Caitlyn Bradley singled home Oli Clark-Kittleson.

The game stayed tied after seven innings, so the game went into extras and international rules were being used, which meant both teams were allowed to begin each inning up to bat with a runner on second.

In the bottom of the eighth the Mavericks had a chance to close the game out when they had runners on third and second with one out but was unable to get a run across home plate.

In the top of the ninth, USI struck quickly as lead-off hitter Haley Hodges ripped a RBI single that brought home Lindsey Barr to give the Screaming Eagles a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.

In the bottom of the inning Karli DesLauriers started on second for MSU and advanced to third after Klein laid down a sac bunt to start the inning. However, MSU was never able to get the game-tying run to cross the plate as USI defeated MSU, 3-2.

With the split of Wednesday's games, the Mavericks overall record now stands at 11-5.

The Mavericks will close out their annual spring break trip on Thursday with two more games on tap. MSU will first take on Edinboro at 4:00 p.m. and finish the day with Ohio Dominican at 6:00 p.m.