Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --- The fifth-ranked Minnesota State softball team split on the second day of the NSIC Tournament downing Wayne State 8-3 before falling to No. 25 Augustana 3-1 on Friday afternoon.
 
The Mavericks started the day with an 8-3 win over Wayne State in the day's opening game to advance in the tournament where they faced the Augustana Vikings.
 
The Wildcats got things started with a leadoff home run in the first inning and were able to score one run on one hit and left one runner stranded.
 
The senior-laden top of the batting order for MSU responded quickly in the bottom of the first inning as Lindsay Ericksonsingled up the right side before Anna Cole blasted her seventh home run of the season giving MSU a 2-1 lead.
 
MSU was not done in the bottom of the first as Kelly Wood walked before freshman Ashley Thell connected on her fourth home run of the season giving MSU a 4-1 lead. Sophomore Tatum Klein also crossed the dish in the inning as the Mavericks posted five runs on five hits with one Wildcat error opening up a 5-1 lead after one complete inning.
 
WSC scored another leadoff home run in the top of the fourth inning as Kaiti Williams blasted a dinger down the left side cutting the Mavericks' lead to 5-2. The Wildcats added an addition run in the top of the fifth inning cutting the MSU lead to 5-3.
 
The Mavericks retaliated with three runs on three hits with one Wildcat error in the bottom of the sixth inning as sophomores Laura Milligan and Emily Bransky, in addition to senior Samantha Holien, all crossed the dish to give MSU an 8-3 cushion with three outs remaining in the game. MSU was able to retire the Wildcats in the top of the seventh to complete its 43rd win of the season.
 
Freshman pitcher Coley Ries went all seven innings allowing three runs on only two hits and improved her record to 23-4 on the season.
 
Offensively, eight different Mavericks plated runs with Thell and senior Anna Cole each finishing with two RBI.
 
In the second game of the day, it took three innings of softball for either team to make its way across the dish. The Vikings connected on a two-run home run in the top of the fourth inning to open a 2-0 lead.
 
The two teams traded runs in the sixth inning as the Vikings posted one run in the top of the inning, with the Mavericks answering in the bottom of the inning as sophomore Laura Milligan posted a run with the RBI credited to sophomoreTatum Klein cutting the Augustana lead to 3-1 with one inning of play remaining.
 
The Mavericks were unable to mount the comeback as they fell by a final score of 3-1. MSU posted one run on eight hits with two Augustana errors, while holding the Vikings to three runs on five hits with one Maverick error. 
 
Ries pitched her second complete game of the day as she was tagged with the loss, falling to 23-5 on the season. The Eagle Lake, Minn., native allowed three runs on five hits with seven strikeouts.
 
Klein paced the Maverick offensive attack against Augustana finishing with two hits and an RBI.
 
The Mavericks return to action Saturday as they play the winner of the Winona State and U-Mary game. MSU's first pitch is slated for 12:00 p.m.