MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team (18-6, 0-0 NSIC) defeated the Mustangs of Southwest Minnesota State (8-15, 0-0 NSIC) in game one 15-2 in five innings. The Mavericks followed up their dominant outing with a 4-2 victory in game two of the doubleheader.
GAME 1
Mackenzie Ward (12-2) got the start for the Mavericks in the circle this morning in victory. In four Innings pitched, Ward allowed two earned runs on four hits. Ward had three strikeouts and two walks in 19 batters faced. Katie Bracken closed out the game in the bottom of the fifth with one inning pitched. Bracken had two strikeouts and a groundout in three batters faced.
Allison Christians (1-1) started for the Mustangs in the loss this morning. In a complete game, Christians allowed 15 runs, with 14 being earned, on 12 hits in the contest. Christians walked eight batter and had four strikeouts in 35 batters faced.
Madi Newman led the Mavericks offense today going three for three from the plate with three RBI's. Cheyenne Behrends also brought home three runs going two for two at the plate. Torey Richards was the last Maverick to have multiple hits as she went two of four with one RBI. In the first, MSU scored their first two runs of the game on sacrifice bunts from Sydney Nielsen and Behrends. Nielsen would later reach on an error by the Mustangs center fielder and the Mavericks led 3-0 after one. The Mustangs got one back in the second before Minnesota State added three more with a Haley Forret RBI single along with a Newman RBI double to advance the lead 6-1 in favor of the Mavericks. The Mustangs once again got one run back in the top half of the fourth. The Mavericks bats came to full power in the bottom half of the fourth as they racked up nine runs on seven hits to put the run rule into full affect with a 15-2 lead. MSU put SMSU down in order in the top of the fifth to secure the victory 15-2 in game one. SMSU's offense ended the game with four hits and two RBIs in the loss.
GAME 2
McKayla Armbruster (1-2) got the start for the Mavericks in game two of the doubleheader sweep. In five innings pitched, Armbruster gave up two earned runs on seven hits. Armbruster also had two strikeouts in 21 batters faced. Katie Bracken earned the save as she pitched two innings in relief of Armbruster. In her appearance, Bracken had one strikeout and allowed one hit in seven batters faced.
Morgyn Otte (0-2) got the Start for the Mustangs in the loss. In a complete game, Otte gave up four runs, three of which were earned, on eight hits. She had five strikeouts and one walk in 25 batters faced.
Richards led the way for the Mavericks offense as she was perfect at the plate going three for three with one RBI. After a scoreless first inning, Richards found were way across home plate as Behrends was caught stealing second to give the Mavericks a 1-0 lead. After a scoreless third, Nielsen doubled to right center to start the bottom half off. Richards came up next and had an RBI single up the middle to push the Mavericks lead to 2-0. In the fifth, the Mustangs struck back and tied the score at two with a two RBI single from Emily Tatur. In the bottom half of the fifth with two outs and Forret on second, Kylie Sullivan doubled to right center bringing Forret across the plate giving the Mavericks a 3-2 lead after five. In the top of the sixth and the tying run on third, Bracken forced the Mustangs into two ground outs to end the top half of the inning. MSU got some breathing room in the bottom half of the sixth as Marina carter was able to score on a Mustangs throwing error giving MSU a 4-2 lead. In the seventh, Bracken and the Mavericks defense put the Mustangs down in order to secure the 4-2 lead and sweep in the doubleheader.
The Mavericks return to the diamond Tuesday as they play host to the Golden Bears of Concordia-St. Paul with first pitches scheduled for 2:00 p.m., and 4:00 p.m.
-30-
