GAME 1 BOX | GAME 2 BOX

MANKATO, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State softball team played its final road series of the season on Saturday afternoon dropping a doubleheader to ninth-ranked Minnesota State University, Mankato. MSU (38-7, 18-2 NSIC) won the opener 3-0, before picking up a 2-0 victory in game two over SMSU.

SMSU (19-17, 10-10 NSIC) concluded its regular season road schedule with the doubleheader. The Mustangs will close-out the regular season hosting three doubleheaders next week.

SMSU was limited to just four hits on the day, breaking up a no-hitter by Kendra Huettl in the top of the seventh inning in game one.

In the opener, Minnesota State, ranked second in the NCAA Central Region rankings, spread three runs over three innings earning a 3-0 win. The Mavericks scored a run in the second, fourth and sixth inning picking up the victory. Huettl earned the victory in the circle while SMSU's Chelsey Evans fell to 11-5 in the loss. Huettl finished the game with 11 strikeouts, allowing just two hits.

MSU opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning on an RBI single by Chelsey Riordan to score Brittani Robinson who walked earlier in the inning. Evans got out of a tough jam in the second leaving the bases loaded.

SMSU was held hitless through six complete innings, picking up two hits in the top of the seventh inning. MSU scored a run in the fourth on an RBI double by Riordan and again in the sixth on an RBI single by Amanda Umhoefer.

Trailing 3-0, SMSU came to the plate in the top of the seventh inning and got a double by Kaley Scearcy and a single by Amy Dreessen but Huettl got a lineout and a strikeout to end the inning leaving two runners on base.

In game two, the Mavericks put up two runs in the bottom of the second inning and that would be all they would need for the win.

Kelly Wood opened up the inning with a single up the middle. Abby Sonner singled to right center and Riordan singled to score two runs and was thrown out in between first and second base for the second out of the inning.

SMSU got a leadoff single from Scearcy in the top of the second inning and a two-out single from Christine Borowiak in the top of the fifth inning. SMSU had just five base runners in the game.

Courtney McKelvogue earned the win for the Mavericks improving to 17-4 finishing with six strikeouts allowing just two hits. Rachel Hoeppner was tagged with the loss, falling to 6-10 allowing six hits and two runs.

SMSU will close-out the regular season next week hosting three doubleheaders. SMSU returns to action on Wednesday, April 17, with a twinbill against Concordia-St. Paul at 2 p.m. at Mustang Field.