MANKATO, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University softball team concluded the regular season with a pair of losses to the Minnesota State Mavericks at the MSU Softball Diamond on Sunday afternoon.
The Mustangs fell 9-1 in five innings in the opener before suffering a 3-1 loss in game two.
SMSU finishes the regular season 29-25 overall and 11-17 in NSIC play, clinching its first NSIC Tournament appearance since the 2022 season.
MSU ends the regular season 37-17 overall and finishes in a tie for second in the NSIC with a 21-7 record.
The Mavericks used a five-run third inning to take a 6-0 lead and never looked back in cruising to the run-rule win.
MSU scored its first run of the game off a throwing error in the second inning before combining four hits and a pair of errors to score five runs in the third. A walk and an error to start the inning put a runner in scoring position before three singles and a sac bunt plated three more runs and increased the lead to 5-0. The final run of the inning came off a throwing error on a steal to third.
A two-out, two-RBI single gave MSU an 8-0 lead after four innings before SMSU finally broke through to score its first run of the day in the top of the fifth with an
Abby Boxrud RBI single.
The Mavericks would respond by scoring off a wild pitch in the following inning, ending game one via run-rule.
Karlie Miller (13-11) was given the loss after allowing eight runs (five earned) on eight hits and three walks.
SMSU recorded eight hits in game one, with
Riley Kramolisch,
Abby Boxrud, and
Kaylee Hafermann each recording two.
Game two saw a defensive battle between the teams, with neither team scoring until MSU added a run in the bottom of the second. It would again be a two-out situation where the Mavericks would score, this time with an RBI single.
A triple to right center scored the second run for MSU, and a throwing error from center field plated the third run.
SMSU started the seventh inning with three consecutive singles, scoring its second run of the day off a
Grace Anderson single up the middle.
Paris Van Dyke bunted for a single to load the bases, but the comeback stalled there, as MSU would put in reliever Maddie Oetzmann to close out the game.
She would retire the next three Mustangs in order en route to earning her second save of the season.
Morgyn Otte (10-11) was tabbed with the game two loss after allowing one run on six hits while grabbing a pair of strikeouts in four innings.
Jordyn Marsh tossed the final two innings, surrendering two unearned runs on just two hits, while also recording two strikeouts.
SMSU, the No. 9 seed, will face off with No. 8 seed Wayne State in the first round of the NSIC tournament on Wednesday, April 30, with first pitch at 12 p.m. at Bowden Softball Field in Sioux Falls, S.D.
