ST. CLOUD, Minn. – Minnesota State softball (34-10, 14-4 NSIC) won two games against St. Cloud State (23-19, 6-10 NSIC) on Saturday. The Mavericks dominated in game one, defeating the Huskies 7-1. Minnesota State first baseman Gianna Lara hit her eighth home run of the season and finished with three RBI. MSU came back down 4-1, scoring nine runs between the sixth and seventh innings, giving the team a 10-5 victory.
 
Game 1 vs St. Cloud State: Minnesota State 7, St. Cloud State 1
W: Armbruster (15-5) L: Eickhoff (9-9)
Minnesota State struck first in the series, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning. Senior second baseman, Ellie Tallman, hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on an error from the infield. A groundout scored Tallman. Gianna Lara hit her team-leading eighth home run of the season, putting the team up 3-0.
 
The Huskies answered with a run in the bottom half of the inning, thanks to a sacrifice fly from Maggie Fitzgerald. After one, the score was 3-1, Mavericks.
 
That score would remain until the sixth inning. Another leadoff double would get the team started, this time hit by Kylie Sullivan, who drove in Tallman with the groundout for the game's initial score. Third baseman Cheyenne Behrends hit another double, scoring Sullivan. Behrends would advance to third on a passed ball and score on a wild pitch, putting MSU up 5-1.
 
Despite threatening in the bottom half of the sixth, with runners on first and third, Bethany Weiss lined a ball to Behrends, who caught the ball and stepped on the bag for an inning-ending double play.
 
Marina Carter singled to open the top of the seventh and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Tallman. After stealing third, Carter would score on an RBI single hit by Courtney Kessler. Kessler would get out on a fielder's choice, Sullivan replacing her on the bases. She stole second base and scored on an RBI single from Lara. Minnesota State led 7-1.
 
Mavericks ace McKayla Armbruster struck out the final two Huskies batters, securing Minnesota State's 33^rd win of the season. She pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits, striking out five.
 
Lara and freshman infielder Izzy Hycnar were the only MSU players with multiple hits, each with two. Lara drove in three RBI. Sullivan and Behrends both went 1-4 at the plate and finished with an RBI.
 

Game 2 vs St. Cloud State: Minnesota State 10, St. Cloud State 5
W: Armbruster (16-5) L: Porter (9-5)
St. Cloud State got on the board first in game two, with Fitzgerald hitting a two-RBI single to right center after a leadoff single and a fielder's choice.
 
Brooke Holmes hit an RBI double in the bottom of the third to put the Huskies up 3-0.
 
Minnesota State got on the board in the top of the fifth, instigated by a two-out Tallman infield single. She advanced to third on a single from Kessler and scored on an RBI single from Sullivan.
 
The Huskies matched the Mavericks in the bottom of the fifth, with Grace Frechette hitting an RBI single, scoring Fitzgerald from second base after she reached on a single. SCSU led 4-1.
 
Freshman outfielder, Maddie Helin, reached on an infield single with two outs. Chloe Brandt and Carter walked to load the bases and an error from the first baseman allowed Helin and Kurstyn Patnode, who pinch-ran for Brandt, to score and keep the inning alive. A two-RBI single from Kessler through the right side put MSU up for the first time in the game, 5-4.
 
A leadoff single and sacrifice bunt for the Huskies put a runner on second with one out in the bottom of the sixth. Reese Holzheuter hit the runner home with a single, tying the game at 5-5.
 
In the top of the seventh, freshman infielder Rhyan Fritz reached on a fielder's choice and Helin hit an RBI double to give the Mavericks the lead. Maddie Oetzmann walked and a wild pitch advanced both runners. Carter doubled down the leftfield line, scoring both base runners, putting MSU up 8-5.
 
Tallman hit a bunt single, which advanced Carter to third, who ended up scoring on a wild pitch. Kessler hit a double to right center, scoring Tallman and putting Minnesota State on top 10-5.
 
Brooke Holmes singled to lead off for the Huskies in the bottom of the seventh, but pinch-hitter Evy Polsfuss hit into a 6-4-3 double play. The final St. Cloud State batter popped out to the infield, giving the Mavericks the sweep over the Huskies.
 
With the win, Mavericks head coach Lori Meyer becomes the first coach in NCAA DII softball history to win 1,400 games. She is the winningest softball coach at this level.
 
Kessler went 4-5 from the plate in game two, driving in three RBI. Tallman went 3-5 and scored three runs. Sullivan and Helin both had two hits and one RBI.
 
Armbruster, who came in to pitch the final five outs, comes out with the win, recording two on the same day.
 
"We got determined to win and grit it out," said Coach Meyer. "We battled with great at bats and capitalized on their mistakes and had some great baserunning. It was great for us to score nine runs all with two outs in those final innings."
 
Minnesota State will finish its road trip tomorrow with two games against Minnesota Duluth (29-12, 10-6 NSIC) up north. The Mavericks are 55-43 all-time against the Bulldogs and are 13-9 in games played in Duluth.