Mav softball stays dominant
Aaron Young
Staff Writer
The softball team continued their dominance last weekend, shutting out two of the three teams they faced on the weekend. The no. 1 ranked Mavericks are 9-0 making this the best start to their season since becoming a team in 1974.
They began the weekend with an impressive victory over the Nebraska-Kearney Lopers, 12-0, in St. Cloud, MN. The team played so well the umpires ended the game in five innings.
Carly Esselman and Torey Richards were perfect at the plate. The sophomore went 4-4 with two RBI’s and fourruns scored in total. Richards connected twice during the game racking up three RBI’s. Both had an impact at the plate as well as while on base. Not only did they hit doubles, the two also stole bases, with Esselman stealing twice.
Richards wasn’t the only freshman to flourish against the Lopers, fellow freshman and outfielder Courtney Potter had success as well. Potter cranked out two hits on three tries at the plate and drove in three runs too. She also stole a base as well, putting her at five on the season, behind only Carly Esselman.
On the mound, it was the same story for the Mavericks. Mackenzie Ward pitched four innings striking out two batters, earning her fourth win of the season. The game went so well that freshman Lexi Schoper got a stab at the pitcher’s mound. She closed out the game with a strikeout of her own.
The next day, the squad came ready to once again dominate, holding the Fort Hays State Tigers to one run with a 7-1 win, again playing in St. Cloud, MN.
Carly Esselman was the player of the game as she had three hits and two RBI’s. Amber Kral and Jessica Meidl contributed two hits of their own with one RBI each. This time around it was Caitlin Stone who took the mound for the Mavericks. She pitched all seven innings, striking out three hitters in the process and only allowing one run.
In the final game of the weekend, the softball gang came out with a victory 3-0 over Southwest Baptist. Mackenzie Ward threw four strikeouts on her way to pitching her third complete game of the season.
Junior Cori Kennedy was the player of the game. Kennedy had a game-high three hits and two RBI’s to go along with them.
The Minnesota State Mavericks will be playing to reach double digits in the win column this weekend as they face Urbana Saturday in Clermont, Florida.
Photo: (Courtesy of msumavericks.com)
