MANKATO, Minn. - The Minnesota State softball team (32-14, 16-4 NSIC) won one and lost the other in a conference double-header against Minnesota Duluth (29-15, 9-7 NSIC) Saturday afternoon.
The Mavericks rallied late twice in game one to send it to extra innings and walk it off for the win. A number of MSU athletes had clutch hits, including freshman Hannah Tong who tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh, then Maddie Helin crushed a walk-off three-run home run to right field to secure the win, 7-4 in eight innings.
Helin was great on Saturday; She hit her second home run of the day in game two. The redshirt sophomore from Harris, Minn. batted 5-7 at the plate with five RBI and three runs scored. She takes the team lead with six homers on the season.
In game two, the Bulldogs hit four home runs en route to a 15-6 win in five innings. The team hit seven on Saturday.
Game 1 vs Minnesota Duluth: W, MSU 7, UMD 4 (8 Innings)
W: Brianne Stone (10-4) L: Allison Luoma (10-5)
After a 1-2-3 inning for the Maverick defense in the top of the first, freshman lead off hitter Carly Kimmes drew a four-pitch walk, but was stranded at first after a strikeout and a pair of fly outs to left.
Kendal Jenkins led off the second with the first hit of the ball game, then after the Mavericks picked up two outs, Sierra Thomas hit her second homer of the year just over the MSU left fielder's glove to put the Bulldogs up 2-0 early.
Gianna Lara fell behind 0-2, worked the count full and drew a walk to lead off in the Maverick half of the second, but a couple of strikeouts and a pop up at home ended the inning.
The Bulldogs hit a lead off single in the top of the third, as well, but a line out to Izzy Hycnar allowed her to toss it over to first which caught the runner off the bag for a double play to end the inning.
Marina Carter took her base after she was hit by a pitch. The senior center fielder stole second and advanced to third on a ground out. Cheyenne Behrends hit a fly out to left which was good enough to score Carter from third to cut into the Bulldog lead, 2-1. Hycnar walked with two outs, then Helin had the first hit of the game for the Mavericks, a single through the right side to put runners on first and second, but the inning ended on a pop out to the infield.
A pair of singles from UMD in the top of the fourth did not result in any scores, then a walk and a two-out single from Carter threatened the Bulldog defense, but a strikeout looking wiped the runners off the base pads. The score remained 2-1 after four.
After a couple of quiet innings, Carter hit a two-out double to the fence in left center in the bottom of the sixth. A strikeout stranded her in scoring position and moved game one to the seventh inning. With two outs in the top of the seventh, Billi Connell hit a ball to deep center field and it fell to the other side of the fence after hitting Carter's glove to score an insurance run for the Bulldogs, 3-1. It was the first home run of her UMD career.
A strikeout kicked off the bottom frame, then Hycnar doubled to right center. Pinch runner Ireland Broderick moved to third on a wild pitch, then Lara smacked an RBI double to center field to make it a one-run game, then Hannah Tong singled up the middle to score the first baseman from second to tie the game, 3-3. A walk continued the inning, but the Bulldog right fielder made a diving catch to save the game and send it to extras.
Minnesota Duluth's leading bat, Nicole Schmitt had her first hit in the top of the eighth, a home run down the left field line that just stayed fair. The Bulldogs took a 4-3 lead on one hit. It was Schmitt's 12th home run of the 2025 season.
Kimmes got her first hit of the game in the bottom of the eighth through the right side, then Behrends got plugged at the plate to put the winning run on with one out. Hycnar singled past the outstretched glove of the Bulldog second baseman which scored Kimmes from second to tie the score and Behrends moved to third. With a 2-2 count, Helin crushed a home run over the fence in right to secure a 7-4 win for the Mavericks in eight innings.
She went 2-4 at the plate with three RBI from her homer. Hycnar also went 2-4 with one RBI. Carter was 2-3 batting in game one with one run scored. Lara and Tong each drove in one run with one hit each. Behrends drove in an RBI with a sacrifice fly.
Starter Brianne Stone threw a complete game for Minnesota State in game one. She allowed seven hits, four runs, three of which were earned. Stone struck out five batters en route to her 10th win of 2025.
Game 2 vs Minnesota Duluth: L, UMD 15, UMD 6
W: Allyssa Williams (14-7) L: Maddie Oetzmann (6-4)
Morgan McMillan hit a sky ball that landed just fair down the left field line for a lead off double, then Schmitt singled past Hycnar's glove at short to put two on, then a walk loaded the bases with one down in the top of the first. A single hit to deep right center brought two across home for the Bulldogs, and a flip home on a bunt was late as a third UMD run scored. A pitching change from Minnesota State got a ground out before Taryn Christopher crushed an opposite field home run over the fence in right. Minnesota Duluth led 6-0 after the opening frame.
Hycnar drew a two-out walk in the bottom half of the first. Helin followed that up with a single up the middle, then Lara knocked both runners in with a single to deep center field to cut into the Bulldog lead, 6-2.
A two-out single from Serena Timmer in the second put a runner on for UMD. She advanced to second on a wild pitch, then a dropped strike three allowed her to round third and head home. An errant throw allowed the run to score and moved the batter to second to make it a five-run game. Johnson smoked a 3-2 pitch off the scoreboard in left center to put the Bulldogs up 9-2 after one and a half innings.
A walk and a single through the left side continued the top of the second for Minnesota Duluth and forced a second pitching change from the Minnesota State dugout. A fly out ended the frame but the Bulldogs had made their mark.
Kurstyn Patnode reached on a dropped pop fly, but a fielder's choice replaced her on the base pads. A line out sent game two to the third inning.
McMillan skied a pitch over the fence in right for Minnesota Duluth's six homer of the day. Schmitt followed up that with a no-doubter of her own, crushed over the left field fence. UMD led 11-2 in the middle of three.
Behrends singled on a blooper to shallow right center, then moved to second on a fielder's choice hit off the pitcher. Helin smacked her second home run of the day over the fence in dead center to drive in two and take the team-lead with six homers on the year. Minnesota State trailed 11-4 after three innings.
Relief pitcher Chloe Brandt singled down the left field line to kick off the bottom of the fourth following a 1-2-3 inning from the Maverick defense. A fielder's choice replaced her on the base pads, a grounder moved the runner, Patnode, over to second. Kimmes knocked her home on a single to left centerfield to make it a six-run game. Behrends followed the hit up with one of her own, a triple to deep right field to score another. After four innings, MSU trailed 11-6.
Christopher drew a walk and stole second to lead off the top of the fifth for UMD, and a single that dropped in shallow left center put runners on the corners with nobody down. A stolen base put both baserunners in scoring position, then a dropped ball in the outfield allowed the runner from third to score, which made it a six-run game. Schmitt hit a double off the top of the fence in dead center which scored both baserunners and made it 14-6 with no outs.
Tong entered the circle to pitch after a change and got the first out of the inning on a grounder to Kimmes at second. The out moved Schmitt to third and she scored on a sacrifice fly to right field. The freshman struck out the final out of the frame. Minnesota Duluth led 15-6 headed to the bottom of the fifth.
Helin singled for her third hit of game two in as many appearances at the plate to lead off the fifth for the Mavericks. A couple of fly outs put two down, and Brandt grounded out to end the game. The Bulldogs won 15-6 in game two.
Helin went 3-3 at the plate in game two with two RBI and two runs scored. Behrends had a pair of hits with an RBI. Lara's base hit knocked in two runs, and Kimmes' scored one. Brandt picked up her first hit of the season in game two.
"Sometimes you run into a team that is hot," said Maverick head coach Lori Meyer postgame. "Minnesota Duluth has had a tremendous history and tradition of being a great hitting team. When one person gets hot, its contagious. The big thing is how we choose to respond."
Minnesota State closes out the weekend against St. Cloud State (32-11, 11-4 NSIC) tomorrow, Sunday, April 13, with a double-header against the Huskies at the MSU Softball Diamond in Mankato. Game one will start at noon and game two is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. The Huskies have won seven-straight games.
