Photo credit: photos.paap.net

ST. CLOUD, Minn. --- The No. 1 Minnesota State softball team rolled past Nebraska-Kearney, 12-0, in five innings Saturday afternoon at the Husky Dome.

Freshman Mackenzie Ward (4-0) got the start for Minnesota State (7-0) tossing two strikeouts in four innings of action. Freshman Lexi Schoper also saw action for the Mavericks with one strikeout in the final inning. Sarah Handrahan (0-2) picks up the loss for Nebraska-Kearney (3-8) with one strikeout in 3.1 innings of work.

Minnesota State opened the scoring as freshman Torey Richards cracked her second double of the season sending three runs across to make the score 3-0 in the opening frame. One inning later, the Mavericks added three more runs on scores from freshman Courtney Potter, senior Jessica Meidl, and sophomore Carly Esselman. Minnesota State led 6-0 after two innings.

Following a scoreless third frame, sophomore Amber Kral connected on a single scoring Esselman to push the edge up to 7-0. The Mavericks put then game out of reach in the fifth and final inning recording five runs. Freshman Julia Bastian got the inning started with her first career triple to send Richards home. Minnesota State went on to finish the game and earn its seventh straight win.

Esselman paced the Mavericks with a game-high four runs and four runs. She also added two RBI and two stolen bases. Richards contributed game-high three RBI with two hits and one run, while Meidl added two runs, one hit, and one RBI

Minnesota State returns to action in the Regional Crossover / Kelly Laas Memorial Invite tomorrow against Fort Hays State at 7:00 a.m., and Southwest Baptist at 9:00 a.m.