EMPORIA, Kan. -- Minnesota State, Mankato used a pair of three-run innings and held the Unviersity of Nebraska at Omaha to a pair of singles and eliminate the Mavericks, 6-0, Saturday in the NCAA Division II North Central Regional tournament.
UNO ended the season 44-13 in losing to MSU for the first time in five meetings this year.
UNO had won the previous four games, including a 1-0 decision in the first round of the regional. But Minnesota State jumped out front quickly with three runs in the bottom of the first. Abby Wagner singled in one run and Mallory Michel's looping single to right produced two more runs.
MSU padded its lead in the fourth. Michel singled and scored on a double by Natalie Spicer, Morris drove in Spicer with a single and later scored on a single by Katie Reed.
First baseman
Chelsea Koch broke up MSU starter Meagan Teal's bid for a no-hitter with a sharp single to left to lead off the third, but the Mavs couldn't put together a rally. The Mavs threatened in the sixth as
Leslie Svoboda reached on a two-out error and
Jenifer McDowell followed with a single, but reliever Samantha Rohr fanned
Lindsey Slocum to end the threat.
UNO finished the tournament at 2-2, while Minnesota State advanced to play Winona State later in the day, with that winner moving on to play Emporia State in Sunday's championship.
The loss ended the UNO careers of five seniors: McDowell,
Brianna Cataudella,
Chanel Reaves,
Alison Jergenson and Svoboda, the all-time home run and RBI leader for the Mavericks.
Nebraska-Omaha....000 000 0 -- 0 2 0
Minnesota State.......300 300 x -- 6 10 1
WP - Meagan Teal, 22-6
LP -
Beth Haley, 20-8
Save - Samantah Rohr, 3
2b - MSU, Spicer, Morris