Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Wayne, Neb. --- The #20 Minnesota State softball team handed the Wayne State Wildcats a pair of losses in Wayne, Neb., Saturday, a 20-3 win in six innings and an 11-5 win for the Mavericks. With the results, Minnesota State improves to 17-4 (6-2 NSIC) on the season while the Wildcats drop to 3-19 (0-10 NSIC).


Game 1

Mackenzie Ward (10-2) started the game for the Mavericks and earned the win pitching six innings while striking out eight and allowing eight hits. Sloan Cooksey (0-8) started for the Wildcats and took the loss allowing eight runs, four of them earned, while walking five batters in two and a third innings of work.
 
The Mavericks immediately put runs on the board in the top of the first inning when Hannah McCarville hit into a fielder's choice to the shortstop who attempted to throw home to get Carly Esselman out, but Esselman was able to slide under the tag and score the first run.
 
Hannah Hastings and Madi Newman proceeded to draw back to back bases loaded walks that put Minnesota State up 3-0 in the first.
 
In the second inning the Mavericks once again went to work and combining good ball placement on a series of singles with a couple of errors in the field from the Wildcats, put five runs on the board to take an 8-0 lead.
 
The Wildcats were kept silent until the fourth inning when they led off with a solo homer before adding a second run on a series of singles.
 
The game was blown completely open in the top of the sixth when Minnesota State put together a string of hits that found gaps in the defense as they tacked on an incredible 12 runs to push the lead to 20-2. Wayne State would score a run in the bottom of the sixth but that would be all as the Mavericks took the game 20-3 in six innings.
 
The 20 runs for the Mavericks marks the fourth time the team has scored 20 or more runs under head coach Lori Meyer and is the first time the team has done so since they defeated Valley City State 22-2 during the 2009 season.
 
Ellie Tallman, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, finished the game 3-4 from the plate with five RBI's while McCarville finished 4-5 from the plate with two RBI and four runs scored. Torey Richards finished the game 2-4 from the plate with an RBI and four runs scored as well, helping to power the Mavericks run explosion.


Game 2
McKayla Armbruster (7-1) started for Minnesota State and earned the win after she pitched six innings allowing two earned runs while striking out four batters. Maddie Moser (*-*) started for the Wildcats and took the loss after pitching four innings allowing eight runs on 11 hits.
 
The Wildcats struck first in game two when they plated a run in the first inning before the mavericks responded in the top of the second when Newman hit a double to score a pair of runs.
 
Wayne State tied things up in the bottom of the second when a double scored a runner from second, but Minnesota State was able to end the inning when that runner was tagged out attempting to steal third. In the third inning the Wildcats re-took the lead with a pair of runs scored on a single.
 
The Mavericks put together a big fourth inning when Kylie Sullivan brought home two-runs on single to right field before Sydney Nielsen drilled a two-run no doubt homerun. McCarville capped off the inning with a two-run homer of her own giving Minnesota State an 8-4 lead.
 
The Mavericks added two more runs in the sixth and a third in the seventh and Wayne State scored a run in the bottom of the seventh to wrap the scoring and give Minnesota State the 11-5 victory.
 
McCarville finished he game 3-3 with two RBI and two runs scored while Newman finished 3-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and a double.
 
The Mavericks return to action tomorrow with a road doubleheader against the #1 ranked Augustana Vikings with first pitch scheduled for noon.