Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 MANKATO, Minn. –  Minot State University pitching couldn't cool of hot Minnesota State University bats as the Mavericks won for the 22nd straight game, sweeping Minot State 13-3 and 8-5 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference softball Sunday.

The losses by the Beavers (23-11, 10-6) halted a three-game winning streak for Minot State and sent MISU to its fourth straight loss in road games outside the city of Minot. Minnesota State (32-6, 16-0) hasn't lost a conference game this season and has a half-game lead on Wayne State in the conference title race. Minot State slipped to sixth with the losses, a half-game ahead of the University of Mary and three games back of Augustana College and the University of Sioux Falls.

"They are a real good team. They banged the ball around, but I think we learned a lot about ourselves and we feel we can play with a team like this, just have to play better overall," said MISU head coach Bill Triplett.

In game 1, the Beavers were not sharp as they committed five errors and allowed runs in each of the first four innings as MSU opened a 11-0 lead with an eight-run third. Mindy Lorimor (Jr., P, Thurman, Iowa) suffered the loss going just three innings. She gave up 11 runs, but just six were earned as the defense was not good behind her.

"We booted the ball around and made too many errors," Triplett said. "We had runners in scoring position, but couldn't get a key inning and then they got the big eight-run inning that did us in."

Minot State scored in the top of the fourth as Alyssa Cornejo (Fr., P/2B, Riverside, Calif.) smacked a solo home run and the Beavers added two in the top of the fifth as Jen Dixon (Jr., P/OF, Brandon, Manitoba), Darlene Truong (Jr., C, Escondido, Calif.) and Ali Cygan (Jr., SS, Bozeman, Mont.) all singled with Cygan driving in a run and Stacy Fournier (Sr., 3B, Langley, British Columbia) adding a sacrifice fly.

Kelly Wood finished with two hits and drove in three for Minnesota State, while Coley Ries went five innings, giving up three runs and five hits in the win.

The Beavers took leads of 3-0 and 5-3 in game 2, but couldn't hold on for the win. MISU went up 3-0 on a two-run single by Rachel Burdette (Fr., P/UTL, Temecula, Calif.) and a RBI single by Dixon, but the Mavericks battled back with single runs in the second, third and fourth innings to tie the game.

Minot State regained the lead as Fournier drove in two with a single in the top of the fifth, but MSU countered with five in the bottom of the inning.

"We got the lead and they battled back and we were able to get the lead back," Triplett said. "It was a little back and forth. They got a big 3-run home run in the fifth to get the win."

Dixon finished with the loss in the circle in game 2 and went 1 for 3 at the place. Fournier had two hits and Burdette drove in two for the Beavers.

Minot State will look to rebound against Concordia-St. Paul Monday in St. Paul and will finish the six-game road swing with two against Minnesota State University Moorhead Tuesday.