Emporia, Kan. --- The Minnesota State softball team split a pair of games on the second day of the Emporia State Classic, an 8-0 (5 innings) win over Missouri-St. Louis and 2-1 loss to the University of Springfield Illinois.
With the results, the Mavericks move to 6-2 on the season while the Tritons fell to 3-6 and the Prairie Stars improved to 5-8.
Game 1
McKayla Armbruster (3-0) started the game for the Mavericks and earned the win pitching five innings while striking out five and allowing one walk and six hits spread throughout the game. Jenna Towle (1-3) started for the Tritons and took the loss after allowing four earned runs in the first inning causing her to be relieved in the second.
Minnesota State struck early in the game as
Carly Esselman led off the bottom of the first with a double before being driven home by
Torey Richards who hit a double as well.
Hailey Forshee then singled in
Richards before
Hannah McCarville then blasted a two-run shot to give the Mavericks a 4-0 lead.
In the second inning after loading the bases,
McCarville and
Katie Bracken each earned walks to add a pair of runs and give Minnesota State a 6-0 lead. The Mavericks added two more runs in the fourth inning with a sac bunt from
Madi Newman followed by a sac fly from
Sydney Nelson.
Minnesota State added two more runs in the bottom of the second when
McCarville and
Bracken each earned walks with the bases loaded. With the 8-0 lead in the fifth inning, the Mavericks kept the Tritons off the scoreboard to earning the win.
McCarville finished the game 2-2 with three RBI and a walk while
Esselman finished 3-3 with two runs scored and a double.
Game 2
Mackenzie Ward (3-2) started for the Mavericks and pitched the complete game striking out 14 batters while only allowing two runs on four hits but took the loss. Reagan Miles (2-4) started for the Prairie Stars earning the win pitching the complete game allowing one run on eight hits.
Minnesota State was able to get runners on base throughout the game but were not able to cash them in during the opening innings, stranding eight baserunners in total for the game. Illinois Springfield got on the board first in the sixth inning when a series of defensive mishaps allowed two runs to score on errors.
With two out in the bottom of the seventh,
Sydney Nielsen hit a homer to center, cutting the Prairie Star lead to 2-1 but the Mavericks were not able to get anyone else on base, resulting in the 2-1 loss.
Esselman finished the game 3-4 from the plate and
McCarville Batted 2-3.
The Mavericks return to action tomorrow to wrap up the Emporia State Classic with a single game against Missouri Southern with first pitch scheduled for 9:30 a.m.
