College sports: MSU softball splits at Emporia

Chad Courrier, The Free Press, Mankato, Minn.
·2 min read

Mar. 7—The Free Press

EMPORIA, KANSAS — Carly Esselman had six hits as the Minnesota State softball team split a pair of games at the Emporia State Classic on Saturday.

The Mavericks defeated Missouri-St. Louis 8-0 in five innings and lost to Illinois-Springfield 2-1.

McKayla Armbruster won the opener, allowing six hits with five strikeouts in five innings. Hannah McCarville was 2 for 2 with a home run and three RBIs, and Esselman was 3 for 3 with a double and two runs scored.

In the second game, Esselman was 3 for 4, and McCarville was 2 for 3. Sydney Nielsen hit a solo homer. Mackenzie Ward took the complete-game loss despite striking out 14 batters.

The Mavericks (6-2) wrap up the Emporia State Classic with a game against Missouri Southern on Sunday.

Bethany LutheranWomen's basketball: Hanna Geistfeld had 25 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as the No. 3-seeded Vikings defeated No. 2 Northwestern 67-50 in an Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament semifinal game at Northwestern.

Sarah Kottke added 14 points and nine rebounds, and Laura Ellinghuysen had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Bethany shot 54% from the field and had a 45-19 advantage in rebounding.

Bethany (8-1) plays at North Central in the championship game Monday.

Men's basketball: Top-seeded St. Scholastica defeated Bethany Lutheran 71-53 in the semifinals of the UMAC tournament at Duluth.

Brian Smith and Justin Schrupp each scored nine points, and Hunter Nielsen had eight points and 10 rebounds.

Bethany ends the season at 6-4.

Volleyball: Kasidy Cacka had nine kills, and Alexis Morsching had seven as Bethany lost 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 to St. Scholastica in a UMAC match at the Sports & Fitness Center.

Cheyenne Owens made 16 assists, and Destiny Sybounheuan had 14.