SHAWNEE, Kan. – Minnesota State softball (6-6) won one and lost another on the second day of the Midwest College Classic. First, the Mavericks got their revenge against Pittsburg State (11-4) after the Gorillas no-hit MSU at the Washburn Invite last weekend with a 6-1 win. In game two, Minnesota State fell behind early to Emporia State (13-6) and finished just short against the Hornets, 5-4.
 
Freshman infielder Carly Kimmes impressed with a 4-7 day at the plate with two RBI, including a triple in game two. Senior Ella Schulz and freshman Ryanne Mellum both hit three-run home runs in games one and two, respectively.
 
Game 1 vs Pitt State (RV) – W, MSU 6, PSU 1
W: Sailor Hall (2-1)        L: Aydenne Brown
Freshman left fielder Finley Anderson smacked a double to left field in the first inning for Minnesota State, which put a runner on second for the Mavericks, but nobody could bring her across.
 
In the top of the second, after a quick first inning showing for the Gorillas, Amaya Snyder crushed a home run over the fence in center to give PSU a 1-0 lead.
 
The Mavericks tied it up in the bottom half of the inning as three batters drew walks to load the bases and a pitch hit Kimmes to make it 1-1 through two innings.
 
Minnesota State took a firm lead in the bottom of the third as a walk and a single from Izzy Hycnar put runners on first and second with one out. Freshman catcher Mellum singled to left field, which scored Cheyenne Behrends from second. Then, Ella Schulz hit her second home run of the weekend over the fence to give MSU a 5-1 lead through three innings.
 
Behrends would tack on another in the fourth inning. A single from Kimmes and a walk drawn by Gianna Lara put runners on, then the senior third baseman hit an RBI single to left to give the Mavericks some insurance with a 6-1 lead.
 
Minnesota State had double plays to exit the top of the fifth and sixth inning. First, the Mavericks got out of the fifth with a 6-3 double play, then, with a PSU runner on third, Behrends tagged out the runner and threw out the batter to keep the Gorillas scoreless and maintain a five-run lead.
 
The Gorillas put a runner on in the seventh, but back-to-back fielder's choices cut the Pitt State lifeline to one out, and a pop-up to short ended the game with a 6-1 victory for Minnesota State.
 
Kimmes was the sole Maverick with multiple hits in the win. She ended the game with one RBI and one run scored. Behrends and Mellum both had RBI hits and Schulz drove in three with her homer. 
 
Junior pitcher Sailor Hall pitched a complete game against the Gorillas. She struck out six while only allowing three hits and one run.
 
 
Game 2 vs Emporia State: L, ESU 5, MSU 4
W: Jordan Harrison (6-1)           L: Maddie Oetzmann (2-3)        S: Gracie Rabe (1)
The Hornets got out to an early 1-0 lead thanks to a double and an RBI single in the bottom of the second inning. Then, in the third, Emporia State scored an unearned run after a throw down to third went off-course and allowed a Hornet runner to score from third.
 
ESU opened it up in the bottom of the fourth. A leadoff walk and a hit-by-pitch put runners on first and second, then a throwing error led to another run scored. Following a pitching change for MSU, a couple of fielder's choices put the Hornets up 5-0 at the end of four.
 
In the top of the sixth, Anderson drew a leadoff walk, Lara singled to left field and a fielder's choice advanced the runners to second and third base. Then, Mellum hit her first Maverick home run, a three-run blast to center that cut the Hornet lead to two runs, 5-3.
 
After a three-up-three-down inning for the MSU defense, Hall smacked a double to right field, then scored on a triple hit by Kimmes to make it a one-run game. Emporia State took out its starter and the closer, Gracie Rabe, entered and got the final two outs to secure the 5-4 victory for the Hornets.
 
Offensively, Kimmes had two more hits in game two with another RBI. Mellum's three-run homer was her first in a Minnesota State uniform and moved her into second in team RBI.
 
Jordan Harrison for Emporia State struck out nine batters in her 6.1 inning outing against MSU. She stays undefeated in 2025, with seven wins already this season.
 
"The last four losses have been one-run losses for us," said Minnesota State head coach, Lori Meyer. "Those are hard. I liked our grit and ability to fight to the end. Hall and Sophia Del Vecchio pitched well and Kimmes has given us a spark in the lead-off spot. This tough schedule is preparing us for our games in Florida and the NSIC season."
 
The Mavericks are back in action for one final day of the Midwest College Classic. At 10 a.m. on Sunday, March 2, Minnesota State takes on Washburn (12-7), and then the Mavericks have a rematch against the Jennies of Central Missouri (6-6) at 12:30 p.m.