Mankato, Minn. --- The #18 Minnesota State softball defeated the Upper Iowa Peacocks twice, 6-0 and 5-3, Thursday evening at the MSU Softball Diamond. With the wins, Minnesota State moves to 24-7 (13-5 NSIC) on the season while Peacocks drop to 10-21 (6-12 NSIC).


Game 1

Mackenzie Ward (14-3) started the game for the Mavericks and earned the win pitching six scoreless innings while striking out 12 and only allowing three hits. McKayla Armbruster pitched the seventh inning in relief and only allowed a single hit. Abby McKay (8-8) started for the Peacocks and took the loss allowing six runs on seven hits.
 
In the bottom of the third inning, Minnesota State scored the first run when Upper Iowa misplayed a fly ball in left field which allowed Sydney Nielsen to score from second. Torey Richards was brought home two batters later when Hailey Forshee drilled a single up the middle.
 
The Mavericks once again took advantage of fielding issues when Madi Newman scored from third on a fly ball that was misplayed. Nielsen continued her hot hitting of late when she blasted a two-run homer, a team leading seventh, over the left centerfield wall, extending the Minnesota State lead to 5-0.
 
Minnesota State earned the final run of the game on a sacrifice fly to right field that brought a runner home after an infielder overthrew second base.
 
Nielsen finished the game 2-4 with two RBI and two runs scored while Forshee finished the game 2-3 with an RBI

Game 2

Katie Bracken (2-1) started for Minnesota State and earned the win allowing three runs, only two of them earned, in four and two-thirds innings of work. Armbruster once again finished the game for the Mavericks, this time earning a save, the first of her career, in two and a third innings of work, striking out four while only allowing a pair of hits. Sydney Wilcox (2-13) started for the Peacocks and took the loss allowing five runs, four of them earned, on eight hits.
 
Minnesota State once again struck first in the third inning when Hannah McCarville hit a triple deep in left centerfield that scored a pair of runs. The Peacocks did tie the game back up, 2-2, in the top of the fourth inning putting together a series of hits.
 
Newman opened the bottom of the fourth with a lead off homerun, her fourth on the season, that she crushed to deep centerfield. Later in the inning, Carly Esselman beat out a single to first base which scored Sydney Nelson from third.
 
Once again, the Peacocks were able to score a run in the top of the fifth, but the Mavericks capped off the day when Newman stole third base before the throw to third got loose and allowed her to score.
 
Newman finished the game 2-3 with two runs scored and an RBI while Richards went 2-3 and a run scored.
 
The Mavericks return to action Saturday with a road doubleheader against the Bemidji State Beavers with first pitch scheduled for noon in game one.