Mankato, Minn. ---  The Minnesota State softball used some late game dramatics to defeat the Upper Iowa Peacocks on Tuesday afternoon at the MSU Softball Diamond. The Mavericks defeated the Peacocks 5-4 in eight innings. Game two was cancelled due to deteriorating wether conditions. The game will not be rescheduled.

MSU found themselves down 4-2 heading into the bottom of the seventh and was able push two runners across the plate to force the game into extras. Then in the bottom of the eighth, junior Dana Mogren brought in the game-winning run as she notched a walk-off sacrifice fly to centerfield that was enough for senior Emily Bransky to score.

With the win, MSU improves its overall record to 28-9 and puts the Mavericks in a tie for first in NSIC play with an 11-2 record.

Junior pitcher Coley Ries [16-4] earned her 16th win of the season as she pitched all eight innings and struckout 11 batters, after allowing four earned runs, five hits and five walks.  Senior Jacqueline Flood suffered the hard fought loss for the Peacocks as she pitched all eight innings and allowed four earned runs off 13 hits and one walk.

Early on the game UIU struck first as it scored two runs in the top of the third. The Peacocks scored their two runs with two outs. With runners on second and first, Sami Kay Shafranski recorded a RBI double down the right field line. UIU's second run crossed the plate after a wild pitch by MSU.

The Mavericks quickly answered and scored two runs of their own to tie the game up at 2-2 in the bottom of the third. MSU loaded the bases for junior Samantha Buhmann with one out and she delivered a big two-RBI single up the middle that scored freshman McKenzie Paap and senior Tatum Klein. The Mavericks still had runners on third and second base with one out but wasn't able to put another run on the board.

After a scoreless fourth inning from both teams, the Peacocks scored two more runs in the top of the fifth. Sammy Garret scored UIU's first run of the inning as Riley Kruel singled her home from second. A couple of batters later, the Peacocks still had runners on the base paths at first and third with Flood in the batters box and she was able to tally a fielder's choice that scored Kruel from third. The damage could have been worse for MSU as there was just one out with two runners on base, but Ries was able to get UIU's next two battters out.

In the bottom of the fifth MSU threatened to score some runs as it loaded the bases but nothing ever materialized. In he sixth the Mavericks never got a runner on base so it all came down to the seventh for MSU.

Paap began the seventh with a lead-off, stand up triple to right field to get the Mavericks rally started. She wouldn't last too long on third as Klein brought her home as she recorded a RBI single up the middle. A few batters later with one out, Buhmann delivered another clutch hit that put her on second and Klein at third. Sophomore Kara Lattery was next in the batters box and she forced a four pitch walk that brought sophomore Jess Meidl to the plate with the base loaded. After a hard fought at-bat, Meidl was able to bring in the game-tying run to force extras as she tailed a sac fly to centerfield that scored Klein from third. 

In the top of the eighth the Peacocks never got a runner on base as Ries had a 1-2-3 inning after striking out two batters.

In the bottom of the eighth, Bransky led-off with an infield single and was able to reach second base after a throwing error from the first baseman. Bransky then made it to third after senior Karli DesLauriers laid down a perfect sac bunt. A few batters later, Mogren stepped in the batters box and delivered the late game heroics to give the Mavericks the 5-4 win over the Peacocks.

The Mavericks offense posted 13 total hits in the win as Klein led the way with four hits, two runs scored and one RBI. Paap added three hits and two runs of her own, while Buhmann collected three hits and two RBI.

MSU will return to action on Saturday against MSU Moorhead (DH) in Moorhead, Minn. with game times set for 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The Mavericks will close out the weekend with a doubleheader against Northern State in Aberdeen, S.D. Game times are scheduled for 12:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m.