TOPEKA, Kan. – Minnesota State softball (9-3) split its games on the final game of the Washburn Invite Sunday. The Mavericks defeated the Central Missouri Jennies (6-5) in a solid 5-0 win that saw Gianna Lara hit her third home run of the tournament. MSU were shutout by the #18 Pittsburg State Gorillas. Overall, the Mavericks went 4-2 in the Washburn Invite.
 
Game 1 vs Central Missouri: Minnesota State 5, Central Missouri 0
W: Brandt (2-0) L: Leithead (1-3)

After started Maddie Oetzmann struck out the side in the top half of the first, the Mavericks would strike first on offense. Ellie Tallman singled up the middle in her first at bat, advancing to third on a wild pitch and a ground out. Lara would continue her excellent play, scoring Tallman on a single. Ella Schulz hit an RBI single that drove home Lara to put the Mavericks up 2-0 after one inning.

Courtney Baxter drew a leadoff walk in the bottom of the third inning. Lara smacked her third ball over the fence of the weekend to put the Mavericks up 4-0.

Jumping ahead to the bottom of the sixth, Minnesota State would score yet again, as Sullivan knocked Rhyan Fritz home on a one-out double down the right field line. Sullivan advanced to third on a single from Tallman and was thrown out at home attempting to steal. The inning would end with the score at 5-0.

Oetzmann retired the side in order in the top of the seventh to secure a Minnesota State win, 5-0. Oetzmann pitched an excellent game; she allowed only one hit in all seven innings, striking out 10 Jennies.
The freshman from Urbandale, Iowa struck out the first six batters she faced through the first two innings.

Lara finished 2-4 at the plate with three RBIs against Central Missouri. Tallman went 3-4 and scored a run. Sullivan reached base twice, driving in a run on her double.

 
Game 2 vs Pittsburg State: Minnesota State 0, Pittsburg State 3
W: Laurent (5-0) L: Armbruster (4-2)

There would be no scoring in the game against Pittsburg State until the third inning, when Hannah Burnett hit a two-out double and scored four pitches later on a single up the middle from Paxtyn Hayes.

Gorillas' pitcher, Ava Laurent, threw five innings of no-hit softball, until Tallman hit a single to center with two outs in the top of the sixth. She reached second on a passed ball, but Baxter struck out to end the inning. Pittsburg State still led 1-0.

The Gorillas would strike again in the bottom of the inning. A leadoff walk and a single to second put runners on first and second with no outs. A groundout advanced the runners to third. Minnesota State was able to get a second out, but Gabby Schultz hit a single down the right field line, scoring both base runners, giving Pittsburg State a 3-0 lead heading into the seventh.

Schulz hit a double down the left field line in the top of the seventh after Lara hit into a leadoff groundout. However, a ground out would end it. The #18 Gorillas would improve to 14-2 with a 3-0 win over the Mavericks.

Armbruster pitched six innings, gave up nine hits and three runs. She finished the game with six Ks.
Only Tallman and Schulz ended with hits in the game against Pittsburg State.

Laurent pitched a shutout against Minnesota State, ringing up nine Maverick batters.

"The only way you grow and learn is to face good competition," said MSU head coach Lori Meyer. "We come down to this tournament to play the upper-level MIAA teams that are regional opponents. Today we played two good teams. We couldn't get timely hits against Pittsburg State, but we really battled. We are definitely better after playing these six games and are better than our opening weekend at home."

The Mavericks will return to Mankato for just a few days before traveling back down south, this time to Clermont, Fla. for The Spring Games. Minnesota State will be playing 14 games over a seven-day span between Feb. 29 and May 7.