Softball splits weekend contests

Jake Rinehart
Staff Writer

The Minnesota State Mavericks softball team won two out of their four games last weekend at the Husky Dome in St. Cloud, Minnesota.

The No. 20-ranked Mavericks began the weekend with a doubleheader-header against St. Cloud State Friday.

Minnesota State took the victory in game one by a score of 9-5.

The fourth inning was where the Maverick bats started to come alive, as they would score eight runs in total during the inning.

Freshman infielder, Hailey Forshee, went 2-2 from the plate for the Mavericks. Forshee would finish the game with two RBIs and a home run, bringing her to two home runs on the season.

First baseman Amber Kral let her presence be known by hitting a grand slam in the fourth inning. The grand slam was Kral’s seventh home run of the season. She would finish the game going 2-4 from the plate, 4 RBIs and a stolen base.

Freshman pitcher, Mackenzie Ward, picked up her 10th win on the mound for the Mavericks. Ward would pitch a complete game and record five strikeouts. Her record is now 10-4 on the season.

Game two of the doubleheader would be more of the same for Minnesota State, as they picked up the 12-4 victory against the Huskies.

The Mavericks made the Husky defense work in game two, as they didn’t hit a home run in this game. In fact, 11 of MSU’s 12 runs would come from RBI singles.

McKenzie Paap and Hannah McCarville led MSU at the plate, as both players would finish the game going 3-4.

McCarville would score two runs herself and drive in three runs as well, as she finished with a game-high three RBIs.

The Mavericks had three arms on the mound in this game.

Sophomore hard-thrower, Caitlin Stone, started the game for MSU but would be replaced after 1.1 innings. Stone recorded one strikeout and allowed three walks and two earned runs on two hits.

Stone would be replaced by freshman, Lexi Schoper, in the top of the second inning. Schoper would record two strikeouts in 2.2 innings pitched, while allowing zero walks and two earned runs on two hits.

Schoper would be replaced in the top of the fifth inning by Mackenzie Ward, who would pitch the final two innings of the game for the Mavericks. Ward would strikeout two and walk one, while only allowing one hit.

In the end it was Schoper who earned the victory for the Mavericks. She is now 2-2 on the season.

The Mavericks had a day of rest before returning to the Husky Dome Sunday for a doubleheader against Minnesota Duluth.

Game one was taken by Minnesota Duluth by a score of 9-4.

The Mavericks would score the first run of the game as an attempted steal of second base by Jess Meidl would allow McKenzie Paap to score from third base. Meidl would be called out.

The Bulldogs would score five runs in the top of the third, as a homerun would prove to be a devastating blow to MSU.

The Mavericks answered back in the bottom of the third.

Sophomore infielder, Amber Kral, led things off with a single that allowed Meidl and Paap to score. Kral would finish the game with two RBIs.

Freshman, Torey Richards, would score on a wild pitch by UMD for the Mavericks final run of game one.

Paap finished the game 3-5 from the plate. She would also score twice.

Ward struggled on the mound for MSU. She would pitch another complete game, striking out three while allowing five earned runs on 14 hits.

Ward is now 10-5 on the season after the loss to the Bulldogs.

Sunday proved to be a long day for MSU, as the second game of the doubleheader did not start until 9 p.m., the latest start time of any Maverick game this season.

Fatigue would be a factor for MSU in this game, as they ended up losing by a score of 12-4.

The bats came alive in the top of the third for the Bulldogs, as they would score six runs in the inning.

Torey Richards and sophomore outfielder, Carly Esselman, would hit RBI groundouts in the bottom of the third to answer.

Minnesota Duluth answered back by scoring another five runs in the fourth inning and another run in the fifth to make it a 12-3 game.

Esselman would hit a two RBI single in the fifth for the final run of the game. She would finish the game 1-3 from the plate, but also had three RBIs.

Caitlin Stone would be given the loss as she allowed four earned runs on six hits in 2.1 innings. She would also record two strikeouts.

Sophomore, Bria Majeski, would replace Stone on the mound in the third inning. Majeski would pitch 2.2 innings and allow five earned runs on six hits. She also walked two batters and did not record any strikeouts.

Stone’s record is now 8-2 after the loss.

After the four games over the weekend, the Mavericks now have a record of 24-10, including an in-conference record of 5-5.

Minnesota State will be looking to snap their two-game losing streak Wednesday when they take on the Winona State Warriors in Winona, Minnesota.

Photo: (Courtesy of photos.paap.net)