Mankato, Minn. --- Minnesota State played host to MSU Moorhead Sunday. The Mavericks took both games, the first 9-1 in five innings and the second 3-2 as walk-off winners in the bottom of the seventh. The wins extend Minnesota State's win streak to 13 games, bringing the 2019 regular season to a close.
With the wins the Mavericks improve to 35-17 (20-10 NSIC) on the season while the Dragons move to 13-34 (7-23).
Game 1
Mackenzie Ward (18-11) started the game for Minnesota State and earned the complete-game win tossing six innings and striking out 13 batters while only allowing one hit. Anna Lang (3-12) started for MSU Moorhead in game one and was given the loss going 5.2 innings, giving up nine runs, 11 hits and walking six batters.
The Dragons got the scoring started with Taylor Roddie launching a homerun on the game's first pitch. It would mark the Dragons only hit and run in the game as
Ward breezed through the rest of the inning to hold the Dragons to an early 1-0 lead. In the bottom half of the inning, Senior outfielder
McKenzie Paap walked and stole a base. After a sacrifice play that moved her over, another senior,
Cori Kennedy knocked her in to even the score at one a side.
The Mavericks took the lead in the second inning when
Kennedy Rieck knocked in
Torey Richards with an RBI single up the left-field line. The Mavericks would carry a 2-1 lead to close out the second inning.
Mavericks continued their scoring ways in the third when
Hailey Forshee roped a two-RBI single. With help from an error, the Mavericks notched another two runs. After an explosive, four-run and five-hit inning, The Mavericks led the Dragons 6-1 at the end of the third inning.
In the fourth inning, senior
Amber Kral doubled off the top of the center field wall to increase the Maverick lead to 7-1. Minnesota State wrapped the game up in the sixth inning when
Paap scored on a wild pitch to put the team up 9-1.
Paap led the way on Senior Day batting 2-3 while also stealing two bases and scoring three runs in the winning effort.
Kennedy,
Kral, and
Julia Bastian also went 2-3 in the win.
Game 2
Lexi Schoper (10-3) started the game for Minnesota State and went 5.1 innings giving up two runs on seven hits and striking out five batters.
Ward came in for relief work in the sixth inning and pitched the rest of the game, recording the win and upping her record to 19-11 in the process. She held the Dragons to three hits and struck out three batters. Becky Berth (10-20) started for MSU Moorhead in game two and pitched a complete game allowing three runs, six hits, and striking out two hitters.
In the bottom of the second the scoring began;
Kennedy blasted her fifth homerun of the season to right field to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead.
It took until the bottom of the fifth inning for the scoring to resume. Sophomore left-handed hitter
Courtney Potter launched a homerun, the first of her Maverick career, to center field to extend the Minnesota State lead to 2-0.
The Dragons would answer back with a run of their own in the sixth inning. Payton Gaber singled to left to score Roddie, decreasing the Mavericks lead to 2-1. A bloop single to right field by Elizabeth Johnson brought in the tying run for the Dragons.
In the seventh inning, the Mavericks found themselves in a jam with runners on the corners and two out in a tie game. However,
Ward found a way to make a defensive play with an assist from
Kennedy after a pass ball, they tagged the go-ahead run out at the plate. Then, it was the Mavericks turn to hit.
Kennedy walked to lead off the inning allowing
Caitlin Stone would come in to pinch run. After Stone advanced to third on a throwing error,
Emma Schifferle hit a pinch hit sacrifice fly that brought Stone home for the win.
Kennedy and
Potter each went 2-1 with solo home runs to lead the Mavericks in the win.
Minnesota State will get set for the NSIC Tournament in Rochester, Minn., which begins May 2 and ends May 4. Seeding for the tournament as well as final schedule has yet to be announced.
