Lori Meyer earned her 1,000th career win for Minnesota State-Mankato.
WAYNE, Neb. -- Minnesota State-Mankato got back to its winning ways as it downed Wayne State 3-2 in game one and 8-0 in five innings in the day's final game. With the wins, head coach Lori Meyer surpasses the 1,000 career-win mark, becoming just the 26th coach to reach the mark in all divisions of the NCAA.
With the pair of wins, the Mavericks improve to 34-8 overall and 18-2 in NSIC action and the Wildcats fall to 30-12 overall and 16-4 on the circuit
MSU started the day with a 3-2 win against WSC, as the Mavericks posted three runs on six hits with two Wildcat errors.
The Mavericks wasted no time finding their way onto the scoreboard in the first game of the doubleheader as they posted two runs on two hits with one Wildcat error in the top of the first inning. Seniors Lindsay Erickson and Anna Cole made their way across the dish with freshman Ashley Thell and sophomore Abby Whritenour each being credited an RBI.
MSU added an additional run in the top of the second as sophomore Tatum Klein scored her first run of the game off of the bat of senior Kelly Wood to give the Mavericks a 3-0 lead after the top of the second inning.
Freshman pitcher Coley Ries fanned the first four batters of the game, before surrendering three-straight walks in the bottom of the second inning, leaving the bases loaded with one out. Ries was able to record the final two outs of the inning, holding WSC scoreless through two complete innings.
The Wildcats were able to post two runs on two hits in the bottom of the fifth inning, cutting the Mavericks' lead to 3-2 heading into the sixth inning.
WSC started the seventh inning with a leadoff double, threatening the Mavericks one-run lead, but MSU was able to record three outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to capture the 3-2 win.
Cole Erickson and Klein all scored runs, while Wood and Thell each finished the day with an RBI. As a unit, the Mavericks posted three runs on six hits and two Wildcat errors in game one.
Ries went all seven innings and with the win improved to 16-3 on the season. She allowed two runs on six hits with eight strikeouts.
In the Mavericks' second game of the day, they posted one run on three hits, but left two runners stranded in the top of the first inning as Erickson scored the game's first run, RBI credited to Wood, who singled to left field giving MSU an early 1-0 lead.
Whritenour continued the Mavericks' scoring in the top of the second inning as she scored on a fielder's choice by senior Samantha Holien pushing the MSU lead to 2-0 heading into the bottom of the second inning.
The Mavericks scored four runs on five hits in the top of the third inning as Wood and Cole scored off a Thell single. Klein and Whritenour would also score in the inning, as sophomores Karli DesLauriers and Emily Bransky each earned an RBI, pushing MSU's lead to 6-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning.
MSU added two runs on two hits and left one runner stranded in the top of the fifth inning to push its' lead to 8-0, as Whritenour and Bransky scored off of the bats of Holien and Erickson, respectively. Junior pitcher Brittany Lauterbach was able to sit three-straight batters in the bottom of the fifth inning, earning her 16th win of the season as the Mavericks captured game two, 8-0 in five innings.
Lauterbach went all five innings, allowing only two hits and one walk, while fanning three batters. With the win, she improved her record to 16-5.
Bransky led the Maverick offense, posting one run on three hits with one RBI in three at bats. Thell and Holien each recorded two RBI in the contest.
