MANKATO, Minn. – Minnesota State softball (20-8) loses its first two games of the NSIC season to the Dragons of MSU Moorhead (15-9). After jumping out to a 7-0 lead in the first game of the doubleheader, the Dragons roared back, scoring eight unanswered runs to win the game. In the second game, a homer from junior Cheyenne Behrends tied the game, but Eliya Johnson for MSU Moorhead hit her second home run of the day, ultimately putting the Dragons over the top, 3-2.
 
Game 1 vs MSU Moorhead: MSU Moorhead 8, Minnesota State 7
W: Leverson (1-1) L: Del Vecchio (0-2) S: Lopez (2)
 
Minnesota State started out the game hot, with Ellie Tallman tripled to center field and Gianna Lara drove her in with a single to left. Another single, this time from Kylie Sullivan, put runners on first and second. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and a walk loaded the bases. Cheyenne Behrends was hit by a pitch, scoring Lara, and Emma Dennison scored Sullivan on a walk after an 11-pitch at-bat. Another walk put the Mavericks up 4-0. Courtney Kessler doubled down the right field line, driving in two and giving the Mavericks a 6-0 advantage.
 
The Mavericks added another to their lead in the bottom of the second. Sullivan hit an infield single and scored on an RBI single from Rhyan Fritz, putting the team up 7-0 on the Dragons.
 
MSU Moorhead took the momentum back in the top of the third. A leadoff single for Olivia Goderis and an error put runners on second and third with nobody out. The Dragons scored on another error and Evey Evans doubled to right to score two. After a single put runners on first and third, Eliya Johnson crushed a three-run homer to left field, bringing the Maverick lead to just 7-6. After a pitching change, the Mavericks got out of the inning after two K's and a fly out.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Dragons would take the lead in the top of the fifth. Three-straight singles for MSU Moorhead loaded the bases with one out. A walk scored one run and a single from Chloe Makinney put the Dragons up 8-7. The Dragons attempted to score again, but a perfect throw from Sullivan from center field got the runner out at home for the second out. A pop out got the Mavericks out of the inning.
 
Behrends hit a leadoff double in the bottom of the seventh inning. A sacrifice bunt from Ella Schulz advanced the runner to third, but two consecutive strikeouts ended the game. MSU Moorhead won, 8-7.
 
Tallman went 3-4 in the loss, scoring one run. Sullivan went 2-4 with two runs. Kessler had her fifth career multiple-RBI game with her two RBI double in the first. Lara, Fritz, Behrends, Dennison and Carter all drove in one run.
 
McKayla Armbruster pitched four innings, allowed six runs on four hits, four earned runs, and struck out five batters. Sophia Del Vecchio, in 2.1 innings, allowed two earned runs on five hits, striking out two.
 
Game 2 vs MSU Moorhead: MSU Moorhead 3, Minnesota State 2
W: Lopez (7-4) L: Armbruster (9-4) S: Clemmons (2)
 
The Dragons struck first in game two. Lizzy Davis hit a single and an error put runners on first and second with one out. A single roped down the left field line scored Davis from third and another single to right center scored a second run, putting the Dragons up 2-0 in the first.
 
The Mavericks took one back in the bottom of the second. Courtney Baxter led off with a single, and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt. Schulz doubled to center field, scoring Baxter, making the score 2-1, Dragons. The Mavericks left two on base in the bottom of the second.
 
Minnesota State would tie it in the bottom of the fourth, with a Behrends home run roped down the left field line, just staying fair as it flew over the fence. It was her second home run of the season.
 
The Dragons would take back the lead in the top of the fifth with a leadoff home run, also hit by Johnson. MSU Moorhead led 3-2.
 
MSU Moorhead threatened in the top of the sixth, putting runners on first and third with one out, but Armbruster got out of the inning to keep the Dragon lead at one.
 
A leadoff bunt single for Sullivan in the bottom half of the inning and a sacrifice bunt from Baxter put a runner on second with one out. Sullivan was thrown out at third on a fielder's choice, but a Behrends single put two on with two out. Schulz rocked a sharply hit grounder to second, the Dragons' second baseman made an excellent play with her glove and threw the catcher out at first to end the inning, maintaining the MSU Moorhead advantage.
 
The Dragons would close out the game as the MSU Moorhead defense retired the final three Mavericks hitters on a strikeout and two ground outs.
 
Behrends had her 30^th multi-hit game of her career and her first of the season in the second game against the Dragons. The Mavericks left six runners on base in the game.
 
Armbruster allowed one run in 6.2 innings of work in the circle. She had six strikeouts in the second game. She finished the day throwing 189 pitches.
 
"Obviously not the way we wanted to start the conference season," said Mavericks head coach Lori Meyer. "It's disappointing to lose a seven-run lead, beating ourselves in that third inning with a couple of errors and allowing consecutive hits. It's a game of momentum shifts, and we lost it and didn't gain it back. That was the story for both games.
 
Minnesota State is back in action tomorrow afternoon to take on the Northern State Wolves (14-6) at 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. in the MSU All Sports Dome.