Box Score MANKATO, Minn.  --- The  #6 Minnesota State softball team blanked Central Oklahoma. 3-0, in the NCAA Regionals at the MSU Softball Diamond Friday afternoon. 

Minnesota State improves to 56-6 overall on the season and stretches its program record win streak to 26 games. Additionally, MSU improves to 4-0 vs. teams ranked in the NFCA Top-25 this season. Following an elimination loss to Augustana, Central Oklahoma finishes its season with an overall of 48-11. The two-seeded Mavericks will square off with seventh-seeded Augustana in the final round of the NCAA Division II Central Region 2 Tournament tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., at the MSU Softball diamond. 

Senior pitcher Coley Ries (33-2) compiled a game-high 11 strikeouts in seven innings of work. Sophomore Jayden Chestnut (23-4) takes the loss with two strikeouts over 6.0 innings. 

The Mavericks jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the games opening frame. Freshman Amber Kral hit a deep fly ball to center field that brought sophomore McKenzie Paap home after tagging up for the games first run, 1-0. In the next at bat, Senior Samantha Buhmann drilled a two-run home run over the left field fence sending Jess Meidl home and increasing the advantage to 3-0. It was her fifth home run of the season. 

Late in the sixth inning the Bronchos threatened to rally with shot off the bat of sophomore JoBi Heath only to be tracked down by freshman Carly Esselman robbing what would have been a deep double by charging full speed to the fence to make the catch. 

As a team, Minnesota State totaled nine hits while Central Oklahoma posted three hits. Buhmann notched a game-high two RBI with two hits while Meidl contributed two hits to round out the top performers.