Mankato, Minn. ---  The Minnesota State softball team picked up two shutout victories over Bemidji State on Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Diamond. The Mavericks defeated the Beavers by scores of 13-0 and 5-0.

With the two wins, MSU improves its overall record to 25-9 and 8-2 in NSIC play.

Overall, in two games the Mavericks offense tallied 28 combined hits and nine stolen bases, while the pitching staff struckout 10 batters and allowed just five hits all day.

In game one MSU defeated BSU in 13-0 in six innings. Junior Coley Ries [15-4] started for the Mavericks and she earned the win, as she pitched five innings and allowed just three hits, while striking out five BSU players. Senior Katie Koponen came in for Ries in the sixth and pitched a scoreless inning. For the Beavers, junior Jessica Yost [13-3] recorded the loss as she allowed five earned runs on nine hits in five innings.

MSU's offense posted 15 hits as five players notched two or more hits in the win. The Mavericks scored in every inning but the third.

In the first, MSU scored two runs after a pair of RBI singles from junior Dana Mogren and sophomore Kara Lattery. In the next inning Mogren was in the batters box again with the bases loaded and she ripped a bases clearing triple to right center to expand MSU's lead to 5-0 over BSU.

In the top of the fourth senior Emily Bransky scored MSU's lone run in the inning after leading off with a bunt single and then stealing second and third base a couple of pitches later. The aggressiveness on the base paths paid off as she eventually scored on a wild pitch. In the fifth, sophomore Kelly Grove came in to pinch hit with the bases loaded and she was able to record a sac fly to right field that scored sophomore Alyssa Rickels. After five innings the Mavericks led 7-0 over the Beavers.

In the sixth inning MSU poured in six more runs on six hits. Senior Tatum Klein singled home freshman McKenzie Paap. Klein didn't stay on the base paths for too long as Mogren answered again with a single up the middle that helped Klein cross the plate. A few batters later, junior Ashley Thell was at the plate with the bases loaded and she picked up a RBI after earning a base on balls. The Mavericks scored their final three runs of the game when senior Karli DesLauriers was batting. She singled through the right side with the bases loaded that scored junior Samantha Buhmann and freshman Jess Meidl. Thell would score on that same play after a throwing error by BSU.

Mogren paced the Mavericks offense as she finished 3-of-4 from the plate with four RBI, two runs scored and one stolen base. Paap added two hits and a team-high three runs scored, while Bransky collected two hits and two runs scored.

In the second game of the day MSU defeated BSU 5-0, as sophomore pitcher Libby Bemis held the Beavers offense to just two hits. Bemis [9-5] pitched six innings of work and struckout five batters and was able to close out her performance with 12 straight outs. Koponen pitched in the seventh and pitched another scoreless inning for the Mavericks. Senior Jenna Massingill suffered the loss for the Beavers, as she pitched all seven innings and allowed five earned runs on 13 hits.

The Mavericks scored their first run of the game in the top of the third when Tatum Klein singled up the middle that scored McKenzie Paap.

Two more runs were added in the fourth as MSU tallied two doubles in the inning. Freshman Cori Kennedy hit MSU's first double of the inning with nobody on and one out. A few batters later, Karli DesLauriers brought Kennedy home as she tallied a RBI double to left field. DesLauriers scored MSU's second run of the inning when Paap singled to right field to expand the Mavericks lead to 3-0.

In the fifth, Dana Mogren began the inning with a lead-off double to deep left field and Ashley Thell would bring Mogren home later in the inning as she hit a RBI single to right field.

After a scoreless sixth inning for the Mavericks, Mogren again would cross the plate in the seventh as Kara Lattery brought her home after a sacrifice fly to center field.

Mogren collected three more hits and two runs scored in the win, while DesLauriers added two doubles, one RBI and one run scored.

The Mavericks will be back in action on Monday afternoon as Minnesota Crookston comes to town. Game times are set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.