Mankato, Minn. --- The #18 Minnesota State softball team earned a pair of victories over the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, 7-0 and 2-1, Sunday afternoon at the MSU Softball Diamond. With the wins, Minnesota State moves to 22-7 (11-5 NSIC) on the season while Bulldogs drop to 20-10 (10-6 NSIC).
Game 1
Mackenzie Ward (13-3) started the game for the Mavericks and earned the win pitching a complete game shutout, striking out 13 batters while only allowing four hits. Sam Pederson (6-2) started for the Bulldogs and took the loss allowing six runs on eight hits.
Defense ruled the opening innings of the game, but in the bottom of the third, the Mavericks broke the game open when
Carly Esselman brought the first run home on a sac fly followed a two-run double from
Sydney Nielsen.
Hannah McCarville added a fourth run in the third when she brought
Nielsen home on a single up the middle.
In the sixth inning,
Esselman brought another run home when she drew a bases loaded walk and
Nielsen capped off the scoring with a two-run single through the middle, giving Minnesota State a 7-0 lead.
Nielsen finished game one 3-4 with four RBI while
Hannah Hastings finished the game 2-3 with a run scored.
Game 2
Katie Bracken (1-1) started for Minnesota State and earned the complete game win allowing only a single run on four hits. Lauren Dixon (7-4) started for the Bulldogs and took the loss allowing two runs on nine hits.
In the top of the first inning, the Bulldogs were able to put a run on the board, but the Maverick defense was able to get out of a bases loaded jam only allowing the single run.
Minnesota State responded in the bottom of the second when
Esselman was able to slide under a tag at home to tie the game at 1-1.
Hastings followed up that run by scorching a single down the third base line which scored
Nielsen.
The Maverick defense proved stout throughout the remainder of the game, highlighted by a 6-4-3 double play that started with
Torey Richards digging out a scorcher up the middle before getting the ball to
Sydney Nelson at second who complete the double play with a sharp throw over to
Hailey Forshee at first, that shutdown a Bulldog rally in the top of the sixth.
Nelson finished the game a perfect 3-3 from the plate while
Esselman finished 2-4.
Next Up:
The Mavericks return to action Wednesday with a home doubleheader against the Upper Iowa Peacocks and first pitch in game one scheduled for 2:00 p.m.