MANKATO, Minn.   --- The  #6 Minnesota State softball team topped Augustana, 8-4, in the NCAA Regionals at the MSU Softball Diamond Thursday afternoon. 

With the win, Minnesota State (55-6) earns a program high 55th win of the season and pushes its win streak to 25 games. With the loss, Augustana falls to 38-15 on the season. 

Senior pitcher Coley Ries picked up the win to improve to 32-2 on the season striking out ten batters in a complete game. Junior Lexy Pederson (19-6) takes the loss in one and one third innings of work. 

In the bottom of the first inning, freshmanAmber Kral smashed a two-run homer over the left field wall sending senior Ashley Thell home to give the Mavericks the early 2-0 advantage. Kral leads MSU with a team-best 12 home runs this season. 

The Vikings responded in the top of the second with a home run of their own as junior Kylie Rome sent a ball over the left field fence to bring Augustana within a run, 2-1. Augustana then added their second long ball of the inning after sophomore Maggie Dunnett hit a three-run shot over to center field stealing their first lead of the game, 4-2. 

The Mavericks retaliated in the bottom of the second as sophomore McKenzie Paap connected on a bases loaded RBI single to make the score 4-3.  Junior Jess Meidl then launched a grand slam to steal momentum and the lead, 7-4. It was her ninth home run of the season. Later in the frame, senior Samantha Buhmann reached on an error that brought Thell across to close the door on the 8-4 victory.

Minnesota State connected on 11 hits as a team while Augustana notched eight hits. Paap set the pace with a game-best three hits including one run and one RBI. Meidl added two hits of her own including a game-high four RBI. Junior Alyssa Rickels rounded out the top performers with two hits and one run. 

The second-seeded Mavericks will return to the diamond tomorrow against three-seeded Central Oklahoma. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 a.m., at the MSU Softball Diamond.