Softball

Minnesota State Claims First NCC Softball Championship Since 1989 

Sioux Falls, S.D. --- The Minnesota State softball team claimed its first conference championship since 1989 and just the third in school history as it split a pair of contests in the finals of the North Central Conference Championships with Minnesota Duluth Sunday afternoon at Bowden Field on the campus of Augustana College.

The Mavericks earned the championship the hard way as they lost the opening game 6-3, before claiming a 7-2 victory in the finale.

The win gave the Mavericks, who are ranked 6th in the NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 1 in the North Central Region, an automatic bid to next week's NCAA North Central Regional tournament.

In the opener, the Mavericks cracked the scoreboard first in the top half of the second inning. Junior first baseman Abby Wagner reached on a two-out single up the middle before junior leftfielder Cindy Smith, won a 12-pitch battle with a single up the rightside.

Junior catcher Mallory Michel then singled through the leftside to plate Wagner and give the Mavericks their first run.

The Bulldogs answered with six unanswered runs as they posted a four spot in the third inning and a pair of runs in the fourth.

The Mavericks scored a pair of runs in the top the sixth as Ashley Jay reached on an error to start the inning. Sophomore shortstop Katie Reed reached on a walk. A deep fly ball off the bat moved Jay to third and Smith walked to load the bases before Michel singled up the middle to plate Jay and Reed and cut the Bulldog lead to 6-3.

Junior pitcher Samantha Rohr went the distance to take the loss for Minnesota State. She allowed 10 runs while striking out three in the loss, dropping her record to 26-7.

Michel led MSU with two hits in three trips to the plate, driving in all three runs.

In the nightcap Wagner went 3-for-3 with four runs batted in to pace the Mavericks to victory.

The Mavericks, who again were the visitors on the scoreboard, opened the game with a pair of runs in the top half of the first inning.

Decker started the inning with a bunt single. She then reached second safely on a fielding error by Bulldog shortstop as Hudson reached on a fielder's choice. Jay followed with a walk to load the bases and each runner advanced a base on a wild pitch plating the Mavericks first run of the game.

MSU would again score as Reed drew a bases loaded walk, giving the Mavericks the early 2-0 advantage.

After UMD hit a homerun in the bottom of the second to cut the score to 2-1, Minnesota State answered with two runs in the top of the third and never looked back.

Hudson opened the inning with a single and Jay reached on a fielding error by the Bulldog catcher on her sacrifice bunt before both runners came across to score on a double off the bat of Wagner giving the Mavericks a 4-1 advantage.

Minnesota State sealed the victory in the sixth with a trio runs. Merrick led off the inning with a swinging bunt single and Decker followed by reaching on an error, pushing Merrick to third and Decker to second.

Both Merrick and Decker came across to score on Hudson's single up the middle pushing the score to 6-2.

Reed singled through the left side to push Hudson to third, before she scored on Wagner's RBI single up the middle to conclude the Maverick scoring.

Sophomore pitcher Meagan Teal went the distance scattering four hits while striking out 12 in earning her 14th victory of the season.

--Courtesty www.msumavericks.com