Crookston, Minn. --- The #18 Minnesota State softball extended its win streak to eight games after defeating the Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles twice with a pair of shutout victories, 5-0 and 8-0. With the wins, Minnesota State moves to 28-7 (17-5 NSIC) on the season while Golden Eagles drop to 8-28 (4-18 NSIC).


Game 1

Mackenzie Ward (16-3) started the game for the Mavericks and pitched a complete game shutout, extending a scoreless inning streak, which began against #1 Augustana, to 41 innings. In this game Ward allowed only three hits while striking out an even 10 batters. Katie Humhej (5-11) started for the Golden Eagles and took the loss allowing five runs on 10 hits while pitching the complete game.
 
Minnesota State struck early as Hannah McCarville smoked a single through the right side to score Sydney Nielsen before a sac fly from Hailey Forshee scored Torey Richards.
 
Defense was dominant in the middle innings and in the bottom of the fourth inning the Golden Eagles hit a leadoff double for their first hit of the game. The Mavericks stayed calm and collected however as Ward struck out the next batter before Forshee flashed the leather at first base as she snagged a hard-hit liner for out number two. Back in control, Ward finished the inning with another strikeout.
 
In the sixth inning, Minnesota State added a pair of runs extending the lead to 4-0 and ultimately capped off the scoring in the seventh with a fielder's choice that scored Richards.
 
Richards finished game one 3-4 from the plate and Forshee finished 2-3.
 
Game 2

McKayla Armbruster (10-3) started for Minnesota State and earned the win throwing four innings of scoreless ball, only allowing two hits to go along with a pair of strikeouts. Katie Bracken finished the game for the Mavericks, earning a three-inning save, with three innings of work, striking out three while allowing three hits. Sofia Gombos (3-13) started for the Golden Eagles and took the loss allowing eight runs, seven of them earned, in six and a third innings of work.
 
In the top of the first inning, Esselman led off single and Nielsen, the next batter, brought her home for the first run of the game with a double that reached the wall.
 
Esselman opened the second inning with a two-run double of her own before Nielsen once again brought her home. Minnesota State added a fifth run when Richards hit an infield single that brought Nielsen home after she slid under the tag at the plate. A sixth run was added in the third when Hannah Hastings scored on a fielder's choice.
 
The Mavericks finalized the scoring with a string hits started by a McCarville double, Forshee with an RBI double and Ellie Tallman with an RBI double of her own.
 
Hastings finished the game 3-3 from the plate while Esselman finished 2-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. As a team, the Mavericks hit five doubles in the win.
 
Minnesota State returns to action next weekend with road doubleheaders against Minnesota State University Moorhead and Northern State Saturday and Sunday respectively.