MANKATO, MINN. – Lewis University's softball team dropped both games of its doubleheader at Minnesota State 2-0 and 6-0 on Friday in the season opener for both clubs at the Minnesota State DII Softball Classic in Mankato, Minn.
Game 1 – Minnesota State 2 Lewis 0
The Flyers (0-2) had the first scoring chance putting runners at second and third with one out but back-to-back strikeouts ended the threat.
The Mavericks (2-0) broke the scoreless deadlock in the fourth. Sydney Nielsen led off the inning with a double to right center and then Torey Richards was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second. A passed ball allowed both runners to move up.
Hannah Hastings drove in Nielsen with a single for the first run of the contest.
Katie David (Mapleton, Ill./Illini Bluffs) avoided further damage getting a strikeout, a fielder's choice and a caught stealing to end the inning.
MSU added to its lead in the fifth. With one out, Kylie Sullivan singled and advanced to second on an error. David struck out Madi Newman for the second out of the inning. Nielsen singled to center two batters later to drive in Sullivan with the insurance run.
Lewis brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh as David worked a one out walk but a strike out and a pop out ended the game.
The Flyers bats were held in check by Mackenzie Ward who allowed one hit and struck out 13 in the contest. David was the tough luck loser allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits with five strikeouts in six innings pitched.
Game 2 – Minnesota State 6 Lewis 0
The Mavericks scored five runs on three hits and took advantage of a throwing error in the second inning. Nielsen and Richards had the only RBIs in the frame as MSU scored a run on the throwing error, another run on a double steal and after a passed ball.
The Mavs added to their lead in the fifth on a groundout to third off the bat of Hannah McCarville to bring in Sydney Nelson with the final run.
Lewis was held to two hits in the second game with
Kristin Kavalauskas (Oak Forest, Ill./Tinley Park) recording a double and
Cierra Taylor (Tinley Park, Ill./Andrew) added a single.
Sara Serena (Kankakee, Ill./Kankakee) got the start in game two allowing five runs, one earned, on five hits in two innings pitched.
Payton Wuske (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East), making her collegiate debut in the circle, went the final four innings allowing a run on five hits with two punchouts.
The Flyers are back in action on Saturday morning taking on Concordia-St. Paul in a doubleheader beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Mankato.
