MANKATO — For the first time since 2021, the Southwest Minnesota State University softball team is headed to the postseason. The Mustangs dropped each of the games in their weekend doubleheader against Minnesota State, falling 9-1 in five innings and 3-1 to the Mavericks in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Sunday. Yet, a Saturday loss for Minnesota State University Moorhead and four losses each for Minnesota Crookston and Sioux Falls allowed the Mustangs to retain the No. 9 seed in the NSIC tournament.

The top six teams in the conference standings at the end of the regular season earn a berth in the NSIC quarterfinals, while the next four compete in a play-in round. SMSU will now face eighth-seeded Wayne State on Wednesday at noon for the opportunity to take on top-seeded Augustana on Thursday at the same time. All games in the NSIC tournament will be played at Bowden Field in Sioux Falls, S.D.

SMSU played Wayne State earlier in the season in Wayne, Neb., dropping the first game 9-1 and losing the second 4-1.

SMSU heads into the NSIC tournament at 29-25 overall and 11-17 in conference. A win in Wednesday’s game would give the Mustangs their first 30-win season since they went 32-23 in 2009, reaching the NCAA tournament regionals.

GAME 1 (5 inn.)

SMSU 1

Minnesota State scored eight unanswered runs in the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader and never looked back in the 9-1 win in five innings.

The Mavericks first got on the board when Kurstyn Patnode singled with two outs, stole second and scored on a throwing error by Lexi Ingalls at third base. The Mavericks tacked on another five runs on four hits, a walk and an error in the third inning, and another two on three hits and a walk in the fourth.

Karlie Miller fell to 13-11 in the circle with the loss, giving up five earned and three unearned runs on eight hits and three walks over four innings. Jordan Bussey also gave up a run on a hit and a walk while getting one out.

Kaylee Hafermann singled in the top of the fifth and scored on an Abby Boxrud single. Yet, the Mavericks answered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to end the game.

SMSU 1

SMSU trailed 3-0 when they scored their lone run of the second game. Abby Russell and Emma Humpal led off the inning with consecutive singles, and Anderson hit a third to drive in a run. Paris Van Dyke beat out a bunt single to load the bases with no outs, but a pair of strikeouts and a pop out ended the game.

Morgyn otte falls to 10-11 after giving up one earned run on six hits with no walks over four innings. Jordyn Marsh also gave up a pair of unearned runs on two hits over two innings.