#2 Minnesota State 5, #7 Southern Indiana 0 | Final Stats
SALEM, Va. – A four-run third inning proved to be the difference as Minnesota State topped Southern Indiana, 5-0, in the NCAA Division II Softball Championship.
 
“We came out aggressive and swinging the bat,” Minnesota State head coach Lori Meyer said. “I thought it was important for us to put balls in play right away.”
 
The Mavericks (60-7) put one across in the second inning on a solo home run from Samantha Buhmann. MSU then added another on a sacrifice fly in foul territory in the third, followed by a three-run home run from Amber Kral.
 
“I had just missed a pitch in my first at-bat,” said Kral, who went 2-for-3 in the game. “I just went into the box and knew I had to be aggressive right away, and I just tried to get it a little more flush the second time up.”
 
Southern Indiana (46-13) threatened to get back in the game in the bottom half of the fourth inning getting runners on the corners, but was unable to get a breakthrough hit against Minnesota State ace Coley Ries to score a run.
 
The Screaming Eagles also had a chance in the top of the seventh with two on and one out, but Minnesota State got a double play as Ashley Thell caught a ball in foul territory and then got the runner trying to advance to second to end the game.
 
“Ries is a great pitcher, but we just left a couple of runners on base,” head coach Sue Kunkle said. “We made some really good contact, but we just couldn’t get anything going.”
 
Ries (37-3) went all seven innings giving up just five hits and striking out seven with one walk to earn the win for Minnesota State.
 
Caitlyn Bradley had a hit and also pitched the final three innings of scoreless relief for USI. Freshman Jennifer Leonhardt  (29-3) took the loss in the circle giving up five runs on four hits.