CLERMONT, Fla. --- The Minnesota State softball team extended its winning streak to nine games Wednesday as it defeated both Saint Anselm (9-0) and Holy Family (6-0). The Mavericks now own a 15-3 record.
MSU began the day with a 9-0 victory over the Saint Anselm Hawks in five innings. Junior
Libby Bemis picked up the win (7-2), while Morgan Perry took the loss (0-2). Bemis recorded four strikeouts in her five-inning shutout, while giving up just two hits and a walk. Perry gave up seven earned runs in one inning of work. Sam Hennequin threw three innings in relief of Perry and gave up two unearned runs.
The Maverick offense wasted no time in building a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With two outs and the bases loaded, senior
Dana Mogren drove in the game's first run with an RBI-single, before senior
Samantha Buhmann notched a three-run triple to right field to put the Mavericks up 4-0.
Minnesota State added three more runs in the bottom of the second, two of which came courtesy of an RBI-double from senior
Ashley Thell. The Mavericks took advantage of a throwing error in the bottom of the third to bring the score to 9-0.
Both Thell and freshman
McKenzie Paap recorded two hits in the win. Paap, and junior
Alyssa Rickels both crossed the plate twice, while Buhmann drove in three runs. In total, five Mavericks recorded at least one hit and seven scored at least one run against the Hawks.
Minnesota State finished the day with a 6-0 win over the Holy Family Tigers. Senior
Coley Ries (8-1) picked up the win as she threw five shutout innings, while striking out four. Amanda Paredes (0-1) took the loss as she gave up four runs, three earned, in three innings. Freshman
Bria Majeski allowed just one hit in two innings in relief of Ries.
The Mavericks reached the scoring column in each of the first four innings. Junior
Jess Meidl got the scoring going in the bottom of the first as she doubled in Paap to put MSU up 1-0. In the bottom of the second, Buhmann increased MSU's lead to 2-0 after driving in Mogren with an RBI-single.
The third inning saw the Mavericks add two more runs to go up 4-0. Meidl drove in Paap with a single to left field, before Thell scored on an error. MSU tallied two more runs in the bottom of the fourth as sophomore
Cori Kennedy drove in Buhmann with a single. Kennedy eventually came around to score after a fielding error at first.
Meidl paced the Maverick offense with two hits and two RBI. Meidl and Mogren each recorded a double against the Tigers, while Paap stole three bases.
The Mavericks wrap up play at the Spring Games on Thursday as they take on Northwood and Hillsdale. Game times are set for 5:00 p.m., and 7:30 p.m., respectively.
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