MELBOURNE, Fla. – Minnesota State softball grabbed a pair of wins at The Space Coast Spring Games on Friday, winning 9-0 over Mercy (0-1, 0-0 ECC) in five innings, then 8-5 over Southern Connecticut State (2-1, 0-0 NE10) in the afternoon. The Mavericks (8-10, 0-0 NSIC) extended their win streak to four games and resume play at the USSSA Space Coast Complex on Saturday at 3:45 p.m. against Saint Anselm.
 
Game 1 | Minnesota State 9, Mercy 0 (5 innings)
Gianna Lara posted two hits and four runs batted in and MSU scored six runs in the second inning to pull away from Mercy on Friday. The Mavericks sent 10 hitters to the plate in the big inning, which included a Chloe Brandt triple to right field and a Lara double to left center.
 
Jorey Fry (4-5) tossed 4.0 innings and allowed one hit, walked one and struck out three to get the win. Hannah Tong also pitched 1.0 inning of scoreless softball in the fifth. Carly Kimmes crossed the plate three times for the Mavericks and Izzy Hycnar finished with two of MSU's eight total hits.
 
Game 2 | Minnesota State 8, Southern Connecticut State 5
Hannah Tong smacked a two-run home run in the top of the first and the Mavericks finished on top in a seesaw second game in Melbourne. The Owls rallied for four runs to take the lead in the bottom of the first, but MSU regained the upper hand with a four-run fifth. Hycnar started the rally with a single to left field to score Tong. Maddie Helin later doubled to left center field for a pair of runs and Brandt singled with two outs to bring in Helin.
 
The Mavericks added insurance in the sixth when Lara took a two-run shot to deep right center field. Both Tong and Lara finished with three hits, adding to MSU's team total of 13.
 
Maddie Oetzmann (4-3) completed 7.0 innings for the Mavericks and allowed four earned runs on seven hits while striking out nine. Giselle DeLutri (1-1) suffered the loss with 4.1 innings and six earned runs against for Southern Connecticut State.