MANKATO, Minn. - With the sweep of Southwest Minnesota State on Senior Day, Minnesota State softball finishes the 2025 regular season with a 37-17 record with a 21-7 record against NSIC opponents to secure the No. 2 spot in the conference tournament.
With the two losses on Sunday, SMSU (29-25, 11-17 NSIC) dropped to ninth in the conference standings.
The Mavericks got on the board first in game one, then a five-run inning opened it up for the home team. Senior center fielder Marina Carter slid through home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fifth to give Minnesota State the 9-1 mercy rule victory. Maddie Helin had two doubles in the first win and freshman catcher Ryanne Mellum went 2-for-3 with three RBI in the game.
Game two was a little tighter; Carter drove in the first run of the contest with an opposite field RBI single in the second inning. Following three scoreless innings, starting pitcher Sailor Hall tripled to score another run, then trotted in after a throwing error by the Mustang outfielder. SMSU scored one in the top of the seventh, but sophomore pitcher Maddie Oetzmann struck out two to secure her second save of the 2025 season.
Helin went 3-for-5 at the plate on Sunday with one run batted in. Carter had two hits on the day and also one RBI in her final home double header.
Game 1 vs Southwest Minnesota State: W, MSU 9, SMSU 1 (5 Innings)
W: Brianne Stone (12-6) L: Karlie Miller (13-11)
Cheyenne Behrends replaced a Maverick base runner on the base pads in the bottom of the first after a fielder's choice, but she moved up to second while the Mustang defense was not looking. A grounder to second allowed the senior third baseman to advance to third, then a walk put runners on the corners with two down. A fly out hit to the SMSU center fielder ended the scoring chance for the home team.
Southwest Minnesota State got its second baserunner of the game with a lead off hit in the second. The runner moved up a base on a sacrifice fly, but Carter made a diving catch to end the inning and keep game one scoreless.
Kurstyn Patnode got the first base hit of the game for Minnesota State, a slap to left with two outs in the bottom of the second. She slid under the tag at second for a stolen base, then an error allowed Carter to reach and scored the left fielder to put Minnesota State up 1-0 at the end of two.
The Mustangs led off with a pair of singles in the next frame, but a bunt popped straight up allowed Behrends to get under, then a fielder's choice and a line out to right ended the threat.
The Maverick third baseman drew a lead off walk, then another SMSU error allowed Izzy Hycnar to reach to put two on with nobody out. Helin rocked a double to the fence in right center, which allowed Behrends to score, then Gianna Lara slapped a ball into shallow right to score Hycnar for another Maverick run. Senior designated player Ella Schulz laid down a nice bunt to score a fourth run in the bottom of the third before freshman Mellum singled to center to give Minnesota State a 5-0 lead with just one down.
The home team pushed another run across, as an errant throw down to third from the Mustang catcher allowed a stealing Patnode to score. After three, Minnesota State led 6-0.
Hycnar singled up the middle with one out in the bottom the fourth, then Helin hit her second double of the game to put two Mavericks in scoring position. A two out walk loaded the bases for Mellum, who pushed the ball back up the middle into centerfield for two RBI. MSU took an 8-0 lead with a chance to win in the fifth.
SMSU hit four-straight singles to score one and load the bases with just one down in the top of the fifth. A line out and a groundout to first base ended the inning, but the Mustangs had made it an 8-1 game to keep it alive.
Carter bunted for a single to reach base in the bottom of the fifth, then she moved to second on a bunt laid down by Carly Kimmes. Brehends walked, then a wild pitch moved both runners up a bag. A fielder's choice allowed the bases to load, and another wild pitch allowed Carter to slid into home, safe, to secure the win in game one, 9-1.
Helin, Mellum and Pantade all had multi-hit games with two base knocks a-piece. Mellum drove in three RBI and Helin drove in one. Lara and Schulz also drove in runs with their base hits.
Game 2 vs Southwest Minnesota State: W, MSU 3, SMSU 1
W: Sailor Hall (12-5) L: Morgyn Otte (10-11) S: Maddie Oetzmann (2)
Maverick starting pitcher Hall made a nice snag in the circle to get a glove on a sharply hit liner. After the catch, she tossed the ball over to first to turn two and end the top of the first. In the bottom of the inning, a dropped ball by the Mustang right fielder allowed Hycnar to get to third with two down, but a pop out ended the MSU scoring chance.
SMSU put a runner on in the second inning with the first base hit of the game, but the Maverick defense retired the next three batters in order to get out of the inning.
Freshman Hannah Tong hit a single, a blooper to shallow right field, to reach in the bottom of the second. Hall followed that up with a double crushed to the fence in right center, which put two in scoring position with one down. A fielder's choice allowed SMSU to get the runner trying to score for out number two, then Carter poked a pitch to the opposite field to score Hall and put Minnesota State up 1-0. A grounder to first ended the inning, but the Mavericks had taken an early lead.
Behrends led off the bottom of the third with an infield single after she made a nice play at third to get the Mavericks out of the top frame. She was replaced on the bags after a fielder's choice, then Helin bunted for a single to put two on base with one out, but a liner hit to right field was caught, then the outfielder threw the ball to second to catch Hycnar off the base. Game two moved to its fourth inning, MSU still led 1-0.
Behrends and Hycnar both flashed their gloves in the top of the fourth to retire the Mustangs in the top of the fourth. Tong had another fly ball hit the grass in shallow right for a lead off hit in the bottom frame. Fellow freshman Finley Anderson, who pinch ran for Tong, stole second to move up a bag, but she was thrown out trying to take third after a ground out.
Tong reached on a fielding error by the pitcher with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, then Hall hit a ball that hit the top of the fence in right center for a triple which scored the runner, then a misread allowed Hall to waltz home to put Minnesota State up 3-0 with three outs remaining.
In the top of the seventh, Southwest Minnesota State hit a trio of singles to score one run and force a Maverick pitching change. A bunt single down the first base line loaded the bases with nobody out, then Oetzmann struck out a batter for out number one. Lara caught a foul ball over her shoulder for the second out of the inning, then Oetzmann struck out the final batter to secure her second save of the season and the series sweep on Senior Day, 3-1.
Behrends, Tong and Hall each had two hits in game two against SMSU. Hall was the only one of the three to drive in a run. Carter also drove in one RBI.
Hall was also solid in the circle. She pitched six innings with three strikeouts and allowed just the one run in the top of the seventh. Oetzmann, who came in for Hall, struck out two.
"We gutted it out. It is nice to secure second place in the conference," said Minnesota State head coach Lori Meyer postgame, "but when get to the NSIC Tournament, it's a whole new season. Everyone is 0-0 and anybody can beat anybody. Sailor was solid in the first six innings [of game two], then Oetzmann came in and closed it out for us. Cheyenne was also phenomenal today at third base defensively."
The 2025 softball regular season is now complete. The Mavericks will now compete in the NSIC Tournament, held in Sioux Falls, S.D., next week. The team will play its first game in the tournament next Thursday, May 1.
