Photo Credit: photos.paap.net

MANKATO, Minn. --- Senior pitcher Coley Ries tossed her first career perfect game and earned her 100th career win as the #11 Minnesota State softball swept Northern State, 4-0, and, 7-1, Saturday afternoon at the MSU Softball Diamond. 

Minnesota State (42-6, 20-2 NSIC) has won its last 12 games. With the loss, Northern State falls to 25-20-1 overall and 10-11-1 NSIC on the season. 

In game one, the Mavericks blanked the Wolves, 4-0. Ries (22-2) tossed her first career perfect game with 15 strikeouts over 7.0 innings. She has also thrown four no hitters in her career. The last time a Maverick pitcher threw a perfect game was in 2013 when Courtney McKelvogue defeated Bemidji State, 15-0, in five innings on March 30, 2013. Rachel Albright (4-2) takes the loss after throwing one strikeout over 6.0 innings. 

The game was deadlocked for the first three innings until sophomore Cori Kennedy walked with the bases loaded to allow freshman Amber Kral to get across for the games first run, 1-0. The Mavericks added another run in the fourth stanza as junior Alyssa Rickels delivered an RBI single to left field to make the score 2-0. 

Minnesota State tallied two more runs in the fifth inning to put the game out of reach. Senior Ashley Thell blasted an RBI single up the middle to score junior Jess Meidl, 3-0. Later in the inning, Senior Samantha Buhmann grounded out to second base with an RBI to get Thell home, 4-0. 

MSU totaled six hits with six different Mavericks tallying a hit. 

In game two, the Mavericks mastered the Wolves, 7-1. Junior pitcher Libby Bemis (20-4) earns the win with five strikeouts and allowing five hits. Jamie Fisher (10-8) picks up the loss after throwing two strikeouts and allowing four hits over 2.1 innings. 

Following two scoreless innings, Minnesota State used a four run third inning to jump out to a 4-0 advantage. Following scores from Kennedy and Rickels, Thell connected on a two run RBI single to score Meidl and sophomore McKenzie Paap. 

Northern State responded to register its first run of the game after a walk with the bases loaded to make the score 4-1. Minnesota State went on to escape the bases loaded jam and then put the game out of reach in the sixth inning as Kennedy smashed a three run RBI double to stretch the edge to 7-1. 

Minnesota State posted seven hits while Northern State notched five. Kennedy recorded a game-best two hits and three RBI. 

The Mavericks return to the diamond tomorrow hosting MSU Moorhead on senior day. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m.