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