SHAWNEE, Kan. – On the opening day of the Midwest College Classic, Minnesota State (5-6) lost both of its games narrowly. First, Missouri Western (9-6) walked off the Mavericks with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh to take game one 1-0. Then, MSU stormed back in its game against No. 8 Rogers State (10-3) after falling behind early but couldn't quite get the tying run across in the end, as it lost 4-3.
 
For the Mavericks, Carly Kimmes had three hits and scored a run in Friday's games. Senior catcher Ella Schulz hit a solo shot in game two for her first home run of the season. Gianna Lara continued her team lead in RBI.
 
Game 1 vs Missouri Western: L, MWSU 1, MSU 0
W: Sydney Rader (6-3)                L: Sailor Hall (1-1)
Kimmes led off the top of the first with a single to right field. She stole second but a fly out ended the side.
 
The next baserunner was a lead-off MWSU walk in the bottom of the second, but Sailor Hall struck out the next batter and a pair of groundouts retired the Griffons.
 
Missouri Western threatened again in the bottom of the fifth. A two-out single to centerfield and a hit-by-pitch put two runners on, but Hall got the next Griffon batter to ground out to exit the inning.
 
Hall singled to left field to lead off in the top of the sixth but was put out on a fielder's choice that kept Marina Carter at first. She stole second, but Sydney Rader for MWSU punched out the next Maverick batter and a pop up to first ended the team's scoring chance.
 
Like the top half of the inning, a single to centerfield kicked off the bottom of the sixth, but the Maverick defense turned a 6-4-3 double play to eliminate the threat and a put out at first sent the game to its final inning.
 
After a three-up-three down top of the seventh, Myah Dwyer for MWSU hit a single to right field and a throwing error resulted in her reaching third with nobody out. Ayva McComas ended the game with an RBI single that scored Dwyer as the Griffons earned a walk-off 1-0 win.
 
Hall was great for MSU in the loss. She pitched six innings of four-hit softball. She struck out five Griffon batters and walked two. The one run she allowed was unearned. Hall and Kimmes were the only Mavericks with hits in the game.
 
Rader allowed two hits and struck out nine in a seven-inning shutout for the Griffon's seventh win of 2025.
 
Game 2 vs #8 Rogers State: L, RSU 4, MSU 3
W: Jade Sanders (3-2)                 L: Maddie Oetzmann (2-2)        S: Harley Culie (1)
Rogers State got on the board immediately, after a double and two singles to lead off the game loaded the bases with nobody out. Starting pitcher Maddie Oetznmann struck out the next batter, but walked the next to put the first run on the board for the HIllcats. The next batter slapped a single into centerfield to score another, but Carter made a solid throw from centerfield to throw out the runner from second to get the second out, and another Oetzmann K ended the top half of the first with RSU up 2-0.
 
In the top of the third, the Hillcats led off the inning with back-to-back singles, which quickly put runners on first and third for the MSU defense. An RBI single to centerfield that scored the runner from third forced a pitching change, where senior Sophia Del Vecchio entered. She got an out on a fielder's choice, then an infield single loaded the bases. Del Vecchio and the Maverick defense forced a pop up to second base and struck out a batter to get out of the pickle with little harm done.
 
In the bottom half of the third, Minnesota State got on the board on a Schulz solo homer over the fence in center which made the score 3-1 through three innings.
 
After two scoreless innings, the Hillcats led off the top of the sixth with two singles to put a runner in scoring position immediately and a sacrifice bunt put the runners on second and third. After MSU got another out, Rogers State hit an RBI single to right field to put the No. 8 team up 4-1 headed into the bottom of the sixth.
 
Kimmes led off the sixth with a single to right and a double from Cheyenne Behrends advanced her to third base. Lara knocked an RBI single to right field to score Kimmes. An infield single back up the middle from Izzy Hycnar scored Behrends to make it a one-run game with an inning to go.
 
A leadoff single, a groundout and another single put runners on first and third in the top of the seventh for Rogers State. Minnesota State got out of the inning with a couple of defensive plays to get out of the inning unscathed.
 
Freshman Finley Anderson drew a walk while pinch-hitting, then she advanced to third on a single to right from Kimmes, but the Hillcats ended the game with a strikeout to secure a 4-3 victory for Rogers State.
 
Both Kimmes and Behrends had two-hit games and both scored a run. Lara, Hycnar and Schulz each had a single hit with an RBI. Schulz's solo shot was her first home run of 2025, the third of her career. With her RBI single, Lara reaches nine RBI this season to increase her team lead.
 
Oetzmann struck out four batters in two innings but allowed three runs on seven hits and a walk. Del Vecchio was solid in relief, allowing just one run on six hits over five innings. She struck out three and walked one.

"We have to continue to build on the momentum we finished the Rogers State game with," said Minnesota State head coach Lori Meyer. "Both games were one swing or one hit away from a different outcome."
 
Minnesota State is back in action tomorrow, Saturday, March 1, to continue the Midwest College Classic. The Mavericks take on Pittsburg State (10-3) at 1:30 p.m. and at 4:00 p.m., the team turns around to play Emporia State (11-6).