Photo by Samantha Davis: Southwest minnesota State University pitcher Jordyn Marsh throws from the circle during a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball game against Bemidji State, Saturday in Marshall. SMSU took on Minnesota State in Mankato on Thursday, splitting the doubleheader.

MANKATO — Jordyn Marsh’s dominant pitching performance helped the Southwest Minnesota State University softball team pull out a split against Minnesota State on Thursday. The Mustangs fell 9-1 in five innings in the doubleheader opener, but came on strong in the second game for a 3-1 win in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play.

Thursday’s doubleheader marked the second time this season the Mustangs and Mavericks faced off after the two split a non-conference doubleheader on Feb. 13. Prior to this season, SMSU had lost 16 straight games to the Mavericks. SMSU’s last win over the Mavericks before this year came in 2018, and they hadn’t won a conference game against Minnesota State since 2013.

SMSU is now 22-14 (8-2 NSIC) on the season, tied with the Mavericks for fifth place in the NSIC. SMSU remains in Mankato to take on Winona State in a doubleheader today at 2 p.m.

GAME 1

MSU 9, SMSU 1 (5 inn.)

A six-run second inning sunk the Mustangs in the first game of the doubleheader. The Mavericks strung together eight hits in the frame, highlighted by a three-run homer by Gianna Larson to bring the score to 6-0.

Ramsey Hopp was charged with the loss, giving up six earned runs on 10 hits over two innings to fall to 8-9. In relief, Jordan Bussey gave up three earned runs on three hits and a pair of walks over three innings. Seven of the nine outs she got came via strikeout.

Minnesota State continued to bolster its lead in the top of the fifth. Chloe Brandt hit an RBI double and Finley Anderson hit a two-run double to bring the mercy rule into play.

SMSU had one last chance to extend the game in the bottom of the fifth, needing two runs to avoid the mercy rule. With two outs, Aliza Acker singled and scored on an Emma Humpal double. Marsh followed up with a walk but a pop out ended the game.

Humpal and Lexi Ingalls each doubled in the game, and Acker singled for the Mustangs’ lone other hit. Paris Van Dyke also walked twice.

Jorey Fry pitched a complete game for Minnesota State, giving up an earned run on three hits and five walks with three strikeouts.

Brandt and Anderson each racked up three hits in the game, including two doubles and two RBIs for Brandt and a double and three RBIs for Anderson.

GAME 2

SMSU 3, MSU 1

Marsh starred in the circle for SMSU in the second game, throwing all seven innings while limiting the Mavericks to one run on seven hits with a pair of strikeouts. The result improves Marsh’s record to 14-4 on the year.

A pair of singles from Carlie Stych and Van Dyke put the go-ahead runs on base in the bottom of the third. Acker singled to drive in Stych, and Van Dyke scored by going home as Acker stole second.

Van Dyke had a pair of singles for SMSU in the game, and an Ingalls double gave the Mustangs their lone extra-base hit.

Minnesota State got a run back on a Maddie Helin solo home run in the top of the fifth, but SMSU rebuilt its lead when Humpal walked and scored on a Ramsey Hopp single in the sixth.

Maddie Oetzmann took the loss for Minnesota State, falling to 8-5 on the season. She surrendered three earned runs on six hits and a walk over six innings, striking out five batters.

Helin led the Minnesota State hitters with a homer and a double, and Hannah Tong added a double and a single.