WINONA, Minn. - The Minnesota State softball team (31-13, 15-3 NSIC) holds the top spot in the NSIC after its split against Winona State (32-9, 13-3 NSIC) on Wednesday evening. 

Despite the fact the Mavericks got on the board first in game one, the Warriors scored four runs with two outs in the third inning, which was enough to secure the win. Sophomore Izzy Hycnar drove in her 31st and 32nd runs of the season in the game and freshman catcher Ryan Mellum reached base all three times she batted with a single and a double.

In game two, Hannah Tong hit a two-RBI double to give Minnesota State the lead after Winona State tied the ball game with a home run. Redshirt sophomore Maddie Helin hit her fourth home run of 2025 to put an insurance run on the board for the Mavericks. 

Senior third baseman Cheyenne Behrends was also great for the team Wednesday. She went 4-7 at the plate, scored two runs and helped turn two double plays in game two to wipe scoring threats off the bases. 

Game 1 at Winona State: L, WSU 4, MSU 2

W: Jayda Berg (15-4) L: Sailor Hall (10-5)

To kick off the game, senior for the Mavericks, Behrends, smacked a double down the left field line to threaten the Warrior defense early before Hycnar singled up the middle. Behrends slid under the tag after Winona State rallied a throw home and Minnesota State took a 1-0 lead. It was Hycnar's 31st RBI of the season, which extended her team lead. 

In the bottom of the first, the Warriors put a runner on with a full-count walk, but a pair of fielder's choices ended the inning. In the second, Mellum singled to left and advanced to second on an error in the outfield. She moved over to third on a grounder back to the pitcher, and was stranded after the Winona State second baseman dove to field a grounder and flipped the ball with her glove from her knees to first to put out the senior speedster, Marina Carter.

The Warriors drew a leadoff walk after bringing the count full, then a sacrifice bunt moved her to second. A fielder's choice eliminated the runner in scoring position and another grounder moved the game to its third inning.

Behrends reached on an infield single in the top of three, but a fielder's choice and a three-pitch strikeout for Winona State starter Jayda Berg ended the Maverick offensive opportunity. 

The Warrior nine-hitter, Tiegan Mancuso, led off the bottom of the third inning with a single that she narrowly beat out at first. The NSIC's leading bat, Sam Keller, reached on a fielder's choice to replace Mancuso, then stole second and advanced to third on an errant throw down. Logan Anderson fell behind 0-2, worked the count full and hit a double down the left field line to tie the game before the Warriors took a lead on a single through the left side from Indigo Fish, 2-1.

A single past the outstretched glove of Carly Kimmes put runners on first and second with two outs after Fish's run-scoring hit, followed by another single to give Winona State a two-run lead and forced a Maverick pitching change. With runners on first and third, Jaden Johnson slapped another single to centerfield to give the home team a 4-1 lead before a walk loaded the bases. A grounder to third ended the inning, but damage had been done. The Warriors had scored four runs with two outs in the third.

An error by the Warrior shortstop allowed Mellum to reach base with two outs in the top of the fourth, but a groundout moved game one along to the bottom of the inning. The lead off hitter for Winona State in the bottom of the fourth also reached via an infield error, then Carter bunted for a single in the top of the fifth and moved to second on a ground out. Hycnar hit an RBI double down the right field line to cut the Maverick deficit to two. Clean-up hitter Helin singled to center field, but Hycnar was thrown out at home trying to score, which ended the inning. Minnesota State trailed 4-2.

After a 1-2-3 inning from the Winona State offense in the bottom of the fifth, it took three pitches to secure two outs in the top of six until Mellum reached for the third time of the game with her fourth double of her rookie campaign smacked to right center. A fly ball with solid contact was hit right at the Warrior left fielder, who caught the ball for the third out of the inning.

The Mavericks retired the Warriors in order before the home team secure two quick outs in the top of the seventh. Down to the final strike, Behrends hit a single through the left side, but a grounder ended the game, 4-2. 

Behrends had three hits in game one, her first three-hit game of the year. Hycnar went 2-4 with both runs batted in for the Mavericks. Mellum also had two hits and reached base all three times at the plate. Behrends and Carter each scored one run.

Starter Sailor Hall ended up with the loss, her fifth of the year. She went 2.2 innings and allowed four runs, all of which came with two outs. Sophia Del Vecchio went the final 3.1 for the Mavericks. She allowed one hit and struck out one.

Warrior ace, Berg, pitched her 16th complete game of 2025 and earned her 15th win of the season. She allowed nine hits, two runs and struck out one Maverick batter. It was the first Minnesota State loss in eight games.

Game 2 at Winona State: W, MSU 4, WSU 1

W: Brianne Stone (9-4) L: Izzy Howe (15-5)

Kimmes hit the second pitch she saw in game two on an error by the second baseman to lead off and moved to second a wild a pitch. A foul out and two strikeouts ended the scoring threat and sent the first inning to its bottom frame. 

Keller drew a four-pitch walk to pose an immediate threat on the base pads, but a bunt caught a little too much air, which led Behrends to rush forward for the ball. Keller did not want to get tagged up in the case that the Maverick third baseman caught it, but the ball dropped, which allowed Behrends to sling it to second for the force out. With one down, starter Brianne Stone struck out her first batter of the game after an 11-pitch at bat, and an pop up to second ended the first inning.

In the top of the second, Ella Schulz and Kurstyn Patnode drew consecutive two-out walks but a strikeout looking ended the Maverick scoring chance. Johnson hit a single to right center after a pair of fly outs in the bottom half, but Stone struck out the next batter to move game two onto the third inning.

Kimmes was hit by a pitch, then Behrends singled up the middle to put runners on first and second with nobody down in the top of the third. After a pair of pop flies, Gianna Lara singled through the left side and Kimmes slid into home, safe, to put the first run on the board in game two. 

Mancuso bunt singled to lead off in the bottom frame, but the Mavericks turned two on as the Warrior base runner slid into Hycnar at third as she was throwing. A fly out ended the third with the Mavericks up 1-0.

Schulz drew a leadoff walk in the fourth, but batter's interference, a fielder's choice and a fly out retired the side. In the second half of the inning, Alyssa Woelfel hit a two-out solo home run to tie the game, 1-1. It was her eighth of the season. Bryn Elsenpeter followed up the big hit with a single up the middle, but a fly out to shallow left center ended the frame.

Behrends also led off with a walk after a nine-pitch at bat in the top of the fifth. A passed ball moved her to second, then Hycnar walked on a 3-1 pitch. Helin laid down a solid bunt that moved both her teammates up a base while sacrificing an out. After a groundout made got the second out for the Warrior defense, Tong doubled to the center field fence to score both Behrends and Hycnar and put Minnesota State up 3-1.

Winona State hit back-to-back singles to get the bottom of the fifth started, but Keller grounded to Behrends at third, who stepped on the bag and fired it to first for the double play and a fly out eliminated the scoring threat.

Patnode tapped a bunt for a single, then Carter reached on a bad throw to first after she laid one down and Patnode advanced to third on the error. She was thrown out trying to score on a fielder's choice and a fly out moved Carter to third. A strikeout ended the top of the sixth for the Mavericks.

A walk and a single to center field quickly put two on for the Warriors in the bottom of the sixth. Carter made a diving catch in center to prevent a hit for the first out of the inning, then she caught another fly ball for out number two. Stone struck out her fourth batter of the game to get out of the inning with the scoreboard unchanged. Headed into the seventh, the Mavericks led 3-1.

Helin crushed the third pitch she saw in the top of the seventh over the fence in left field to put the Mavericks up 4-1 with one swing of the bat. The Warriors got the three outs they needed before the bottom of the seventh in order.

Stone was able to pitch for a fly out, a line out and a groundout to secure the win in game two, 4-1. She pitched her second complete game of the season and allowed one run on seven hits. Stone ended with four strikeouts.

Nobody had a multi-hit game in the second, but five players had base hits. Lara put the team on the board with her RBI single and Helin's home run gave her one run batted in. Tong's two-run double gave the Mavericks the lead after the Warriors had tied it with the home run in the fourth.

"If you take away the fourth inning where we allowed six hits and four runs, the results look very different today," said Minnesota State head coach Lori Meyer. "Heading into the weekend, we need to prevent the big inning, play consistent defense, and execute timely two-out hitting and stringing multiple together back-to-back."

The Minnesota State softball team will be back in Mankato for a pair of double headers this weekend. On Saturday, April 12, the Mavericks play Minnesota Duluth (28-14, 8-6 NSIC) and the team takes on St. Cloud State (32-11, 11-4 NSIC) on Sunday, April 13. Both days have noon and 2:00 p.m. start times at the MSU Softball Diamond.