MARSHALL, Minn. --- The #14 Minnesota State softball team extended its winning streak to 10 games Tuesday afternoon as it posted a pair of shutouts on the road against Southwest Minnesota State. 

Minnesota State began the day with an 8-0 win in six innings, before finishing the doubleheader with a 2-0 win. The Mavericks now own a 40-6 overall record and sit atop the NSIC standings with an 18-2 conference record. SMSU now owns a 17-19 overall record, including an 8-12 league record.

Minnesota State began the day with an 8-0 victory in six innings over the Mustangs. Senior Coley Ries (21-2) picked up the win as she allowed just two hits, while striking out 11 batters. Shelby Crank took the loss (4-5) as she gave up eight runs, four earned, in 5.2 innings. Ries has won 10 starts in a row and now has 99 career victories.

In total, the Mavericks scored eight runs, on 10 hits, while the SMSU defense committed three errors. MSU opened the scoring in the top of the first as freshman Amber Kral drove in a pair of runners with a double to left field to give the Mavericks an early 2-0 lead. MSU added two more runs in the top of the third as both senior Ashley Thell and senior Samantha Buhmann drove in a run with an RBI-double and an RBI-single, respectively.

After scoreless fourth and fifth innings, the Mavericks took advantage of three hits and two Mustang errors in the top of the sixth to go up 8-0. Freshman Carly Esselman reached base on an error to open the inning and would eventually score on a sacrifice fly from junior Alyssa Rickels. Freshman McKenzie Paap was then driven in by senior Jess Meidl, who would also come around to score via a fielding error at third. Thell, who reached base via the error at third, was eventually driven in by Kral's second double of the game to put MSU up 8-0. 

Meidl, Kral and senior Dana Mogren each finished game one with two hits each. Kral also drove in three runs, while Paap stole two bases.

The Mavericks finished the doubleheader with a 2-0 win in game two. Junior Libby Bemis (19-4) picked up the win as she struck eight batters, while giving up four hits, in her fifth shutout of the season. Alex O'Connor (8-9) took the loss as she gave up two runs, one earned, in seven innings. O'Connor allowed 10 hits and struck out seven batters. 

Game two remained scoreless through the first four innings. The Mavericks stranded five runners on base in the first four innings, while Bemis limited the Mustangs to just two singles and a walk.

The top of the fifth saw the Mavericks break the scoreless tie as they scored two runs, using three hits and two SMSU errors. MSU opened the top of the fifth with a pair of singles from Rickels and Paap, but O'Connor was able to the next two outs via a fly out and a fielder's choice. With two gone, Kral notched a single to right field that brought in Paap. A throwing error by the right fielder on the play allowed Thell to cross the plate as well to give MSU the 2-0 lead.

Bemis allowed just one base runner in both the fifth and sixth inning as the Mavericks carried their 2-0 lead into the bottom of the seventh. In the bottom of the seventh, SMSU managed to open the inning with a walk and a single to left field that put runners on first and second with nobody out. Bemis would then lock down the win for the Mavericks as she forced a pop up, before striking out the final two batters to secure MSU's 2-0 win.

Paap led the Maverick offense in game two with two hits, while Kral drove in both Maverick runs.

Minnesota State returns home on Saturday as it hosts the Northern State Wolves at the MSU Softball Diamond. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m.

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