RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. --- Minnesota State's 2016 season came to an end Friday evening as it fell to both Arkansas Tech and Upper Iowa by the score of 2-0 in the NCAA Central Sub Region Tournament.

With the losses, Minnesota State finished its season with a 45-17 record.

The first game of the day featured another stellar pitcher's duel as MSU's Coley Ries (29-7) squared off against ATU's Jalissa Gum (21-2), which saw Arkansas Tech prevail 2-0 in 11 innings. Ries took the loss as she struck out 13 batters in 13 innings. Her lone blemish came in the bottom of the 11th as she gave up a two-run home run to Kambri Hill. Gum earned the win as she struck out 16 batters in 11 shutout innings.

The first three innings saw Ries and Gum keep the opposing batters in check as the Mavericks and Golden Suns combined for one hit and four walks.

The bottom of the first saw senior Tatum Klein record a bunt single with one out, before junior Dana Mogren reached on a fielder's choice. Mogren managed to steal second, but Gum managed to get out of the inning unscathed.

In the bottom of the second Sarah Coronado led off the inning with a walk and eventually stole second with one out. A ground out moved Coronado up to third but Ries would strikeout Sydnie Hanson to end the threat.

As the game headed into the sixth inning, both teams were still looking for that first run. The Mavericks put together a promising start in the top of the sixth as freshman McKenzie Paap singled, before Klein coaxed a walked. After a sacrifice bunt from Mogren, Gum walked junior Ashley Thell to load the bases. Gum was then able to get the final two outs, via a strikeout and a pop up to first base, to get out of the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, the Golden Suns nearly got the winning run across. With one out, Coronado singled and eventually advanced all the way to third via a throwing error and a wild pitch. After a walk to Janie Knowles that put runners on the corners, Ries got out of the jam as she struck out the next two batters.

The ninth inning saw both the Mavericks and the Golden Suns get two runners on base but Ries and Gum were up to the task as they managed to keep the game scoreless. The 10th inning saw both pitchers set the side down in order as the game went on into the 11th inning.

In the top of the 11th, Mogren drew a walk, but Gum struck out the next two MSU batters before Mogren was caught stealing second. In the ATU portion of the inning, Destiny Crumpley was able to draw a leadoff walk. Hill then stepped up to the plate and with a 1-2 count, she blasted a two-run home run to center field to give the Golden Suns the 2-0 win.

Minnesota State was then eliminated from the sub region tournament as it fell to Upper Iowa 2-0. Sophomore Libby Bemis (14-10) took the loss as she gave up two runs on three hits in 1.1 innings. Brooke Redmond (22-5) took the win as she threw 4.2 innings of shutout softball, allowing just three hits. Jacqueline Flood came on in relief of Redmond with two gone in the fifth and proceeded to set down all seven batters she faced.

Upper Iowa got the game's first run right away in the top of the first as Tara Walls drove in Sami Kay Safranski with an RBI-single to left field. UIU would then go up 2-0 in the top of the second as Lauren Marlinghaus blasted a solo shot to left field. It was after the home run by Marlinghaus that Ries came on in relief of Bemis. Ries would then strikeout the final two batters to get out of the inning, with her first one representing her 1,000th career strikeout.

MSU managed to get a runner on base in the bottom of the second and third innings, but its best scoring chance came in the bottom of the fifth. With two outs, the Mavericks managed to get runners on first and second courtesy of an Upper Iowa fielding error and a single by senior Karli DesLauriers. Flood came on to pitch for the Peacocks and forced a ground out to end the threat. Flood would then set the Mavericks down in order through the final two innings to secure the 2-0 win.

Ries finished her season with 434 strikeouts, which are the eighth-most in a season in NCAA Division II history.
 
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