MANKATO, Minn. --- The Minnesota State softball team picked up a pair of wins at home Saturday afternoon as the Mavericks bested Minnesota Crookston by the scores of 6-0 and 10-2 (5 innings).
With the wins, MSU now owns a 31-21 record, including an 18-10 NSIC record. UMC dropped to 15-39, including an 8-20 conference record.
Minnesota State wraps up its regular season schedule at home this Sunday as it hosts MSU Moorhead. The doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 12:00 p.m.
Game 1
Minnesota State began the day with a 6-0 win over Minnesota Crookston.
Junior
Maddie Oetzmann (15-6) picked up the win as she threw a four-hit shutout, while striking out seven batters. Charlotte Dombrowski (8-12) took the loss as she allowed six runs on eight hits, while striking out one batter.
The Mavericks wasted no time jumping out in front as they notched three runs in the first inning. Junior
Chloe Brandt led off with a single, before a walk to junior
Maddie Helin put two on with nobody out. UMC managed to get the next two outs, but sophomore
Hannah Tong crushed a three-run home run to left field with two outs to put MSU in front 3-0.
The bottom of the third saw MSU add another run to go up 4-0. Freshman
Nyah Hulbert tripled to right center, before a ground out from senior
Gianna Lara brough her home. Hulbert led of the fifth inning with a double as well and eventually came around to score on a sacrifice fly from Tong to increase MSU's lead to 5-0.
The Mavericks added one more run in the bottom of the sixth as an RBI-single from Helin up the middle scored sophomore
Ysabel Lerma to put MSU up by six at 6-0.
Oetzmann allowed just two hits and a walk in the final three innings as she locked down the 6-0 win for the Mavericks.
Tong drove in four of MSU's six runs, while Hulbert recorded a pair of extra base hits and two runs scored. Brandt also finished with two hits.
Game 2
Minnesota State finished the day with a 10-2 win in five innings.
Freshman
Jorey Fry (13-12) earned the win as she allowed two runs, on three hits. She threw 4.2 innings and struck out five. Gabrielle Gomez (1-3) took the loss as she gave up four runs on two hits.
The Mavericks did most of their damage in the bottom of the first as they scored nine runs on seven hits to take an early 9-0 lead. Hulbert notched a two-run home run to right field, while junior
Izzy Hycnar drove in two more with a double. Sophomore
Ireland Broderick, Brandt and Helin also drove in a run, before Hulbert drove in one more with a ground out in her second at bat of the inning.
The 9-0 score held into the bottom of the fourth where the Mavericks notched three singles, including an RBI-single up the middle by Broderick, to increase MSU's lead to 10-0.
Fry managed to get the first two batters out in the top of the fifth but three walks and two singles had brought the score to 10-2 with the bases loaded. Freshman
Lucy Porter replaced Fry in the circle and got the next UMC batter to fly out to right field to close out the 10-2 five-inning win for the Mavericks.
Hulbert drove in three of MSU's runs, while Helin, Hycnar and Broderick each drove in two runs. Brandt and Hycnar each scored two runs as well.
