MOORHEAD, Minn. -- At the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tournament, the Bemidji State softball squad sneaked by No. 8 seed Minnesota-Crookston, 4-2 in eight innings in Game 1 and advanced to the winner’s round. However, the 2004 season came to an end with losses to No. 1 seed SW Minnesota State, 3-2 in eight innings and 2-0 to No. 4 seed Winona State.

The Beavers, who finished 2-29 overall, entered the Tournament hosted by Minnesota State-Moorhead as the No. 9 seed.

The Beaver offense struggled early against Minnesota-Crookston in Game 1 of the day. BSU advanced just one runner as far as second base in the first five innings. After UM-Crookston tallied single runs in the first and second innings to go up 2-0, BSU rallied with two in the top of the sixth.

Senior Jenna Grimsrud led off with a single to left center. However, she was erased on a fielder’s choice for the first out in the frame. But, a bloop single off the bat of Jenny Dietz scored Jamie Fisher and Megan Woslager with two outs to tie the count at 2-2.

Freshman Nikki Eckebrecht and Woslager scored in the eighth inning to put BSU up 4-2. BSU senior pitcher Leah Bowen silenced the UM-C bats in the eighth inning for the win. She allowed just two runs on three hits, two of those hits coming after the second inning, three walks and struck out four in eight innings of work.

In Game 2 against top-seeded SW Minnesota State, BSU came from behind once again to tie the score up at 2-2 apiece in the seventh inning, only to see SMSU score the game-winning tally on no hits in the bottom of the eighth.

Eckebrecht scored her second run of the day in the first inning off a Fisher RBI single. The Mustangs responded with a run in the first and a run in the second to lead 2-1 after two innings. The Mustangs then notched the game-winner on a walk, an error and a passed ball in the bottom of the eighth frame.
Bowen took the loss again only giving up one earned run on four hits.

In the final game versus Winona State, Warrior pitcher Elissa Wisniewski held the BSU bats in check tossing a five-hit shutout. Eckebrecht went 2x3 in the game with Fisher, Bowen and junior Lauren Wilson each picking up hits.

Junior Katie McKenzie went six innings, giving up two earned runs on eight hits and walking no batters.

NOTE: BSU moves to 14-1 all-time against Minnesota-Crookston; the only loss came earlier this season, April 22...The Beavers moves to 10-26 in NSIC Tournament play since the postseason format began in 1996, including a 4-5 mark in Game 1’s in the Tournament...Megan Woslager finished as the team’s leader in batting average (.324) after going four-of-11 today...SMSU has defeated the Beavers the last six meetings...Nikki Eckebrecht wrapped up her final weekend 4x9 with two runs scored...BSU won its first Tournament game of 2003 only to drop the final two.