Mankato, Minn. ---    The Minnesota State softball team took care of business against Minot State on Saturday afternoon at the MSU Softball Diamond as the Mavericks defeated the Beavers 7-3 and 8-0. The games also marked as "Senior Day" for the Mavericks as they have four seniors on this year's squad in: Emily Bransky, Karli DesLauriers, Tatum Klein and Katie Koponen.

With the two win, the Mavericks push their overall record to 33-12 and 16-5 in NSIC play.

In game one, MSU defeated MISU 7-3 as the Mavericks offense tallied 10 hits, including four extra base hits. Junior pitcher Coley Ries [19-5] got the start and she earned the win as she pitched five innings and struck out six batters, while allowing just one hit and zero walks. Katie Koponen came in relief in the top of the sixth and allowed three earned runs and five hits. Sophomore Libby Bemis closed out the game for MSU in the top of the seventh and allowed no runs.

The Beavers pitcher Clarissa Ramirez suffered the loss as she pitched all six innings and allowed six earned on 10 hits.

After a 1-2-3 inning in the bottom of the first, the Mavericks pushed across five runs in the second as they tallied six hits in the inning. MSU's first run of the inning came off the bat of junior Ashley Thell as she ripped an RBI-double to right center that scored junior Samantha Buhmann from second. Thell would soon round the bases as sophomore Jess Meidl tallied an RBI-double through the left side. Sophomore Kelly Grove was next at the plate and she singled to left field and advanced to second, while Meidl moved up to third. Karli DesLauriers was next in the batters box and she brought the runners home as she belted a two-RBI triple to right center to score Meidl and Grove. The Mavericks fifth run of the inning came when freshman McKenzie Paap laid down a bunt that was enough for DesLauriers to touch the plate.

Two more runs came across for MSU in the bottom of the third as Meidl was at it again when she delivered an RBI-single down the left field line that scored Thell from second. Meidl eventually advanced to second on the play and that paid off for her as she scored a little later after a throwing error from MISU's catcher.

The Beavers scored all three of their runs in the top of the sixth after recording five hits in the inning. Clarissa Ramirez brought home MISU's first run in as she posted an RBI-single to left field that scored Lauren Cowden from second. Rachel Burdette was the Beavers next batter and she ripped a double to right center that put Ramirez on third. With two runners on, Isis Cabral laced a sharp two-RBI single up the middle to score Ramirez and Burdette.

Meidl and Thell each finished the game with two hits and two runs, while Paap and Tatum Klein each added two hits and one stolen base in the win.

In the second game of the day, MSU defeated MISU 8-0 in eight innings.

Libby Bemis [12-7] started for the Mavericks and she earned the win as she pitched all six innings and allowed just one hit, while striking out four batters. Clarissa Ramirez started game two as well for the Beavers and she pitched a complete game after allowing eight earned run on nine hits.

After two scoreless innings in the first and second, three runs came across in the bottom of the third for the Mavericks. Freshman Cori Kennedy led-off the inning with a double to left field and Karli DesLauriers reached base safety after an error from the Beavers. With runners on the corners, McKenzie Paap recorded an RBI on a fielder's choice that help score Kennedy from third. Still with DesLauriers and Paap on the base paths, junior Dana Mogren tallied a two-RBI single up the middle to score the two runners on base and to push the Mavericks lead to 3-0 after three innings.

In the fourth, two more runs came across on the board as Paap delivered a two-RBI single to left field that scored Jess Meidl and Ashley Thell on the play.

In the final inning, MSU was able to load the base for Paap and she was able to close out the game for MSU, as she ripped a bases clearing three-RBI double to left center that scored Thell, Kennedy and DesLauriers on the play. 

Paap finished the game 2-for-4 from the plate and added six RBI, while Thell, Kennedy and DesLauriers each ended the game with two runs scored.

The Mavericks will close out the weekend with a Sunday doubleheader against the University of Mary at the MSU Softball Diamond. Game times are set for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.