Minnesota State Mankato scored five runs in the fifth inning to take the lead in an 8-4 softball victory over Armstrong State of Savannah, Ga., in the winners' bracket of the NCAA Division II Women's College World Series in Salem, Va.

Carly Esselman's two-run double was the big hit of the inning; it made the score 6-1. She also had an RBI single in the seventh for the Mavericks (61-7). Coley Ries pitched a four-hitter, struck out 10 and walked one in improving to 38-3.

St. Catherine ousted

St. Catherine lost 6-5 to Williams in an elimination softball game in the NCAA Division III Women's College World Series in Oklahoma City. The Wildcats (38-13) fell behind 6-0 but scored five runs in the bottom of the sixth, two on Ashley Sis' double.

Etc.

• The Gophers' Mitch Hechsel and Nate Roese were fourth and ninth in the 800 and Obsa Ali sixth in the 3,000 steeplechase in the NCAA West Prelim meet in Austin, Texas, to advance to the NCAA meet June 7-10 in Eugene, Ore. Temi Ogunrinde broke the Gophers' program record in the women's hammer throw with a toss of 210 to place eighth and advance to Eugene, as did teammate Angie Guenther who was 12th.

• Minnesota Duluth's Breanna Colbenson took second in the 3,000-meter steeplechase (10:02.12) in the NCAA Division II meet in Bradenton, Fla. Michael Sandle of Minnesota State Mankato was second in the triple jump (53-3¾).

• Emma Peterson of Concordia (Moorhead) was second in the high jump (5-8) in the NCAA Division III meet at Geneva, Ohio.

• Danny Oh, Breland Almadova and Brady Shoemaker all hit homers for the St. Paul Saints in a 10-5 loss against the Kansas City T-Bones at CHS Field.