ROLLA, Mo. (UMR Softball Field) -- The Bemidji State University softball team broke the seal
on its 2005 season Monday traveling to Rolla, Mo. to face
the University of Missouri-Rolla in a double header. The Beavers
collected just for hits in two games as the Miners defeated
BSU 12-0 in game 1 and followed that with an 8-0 shut out
to complete the sweep.
Junior co-captain Katie Gardas (Arden Hills, Minn.) got BSU
out of the gates bunting for the Beavers' fist hit of the
season but after its next batter, Alaina Ryberg (Jr., Hudson,
Wis.) walked, BSU would not have another base-runner until
freshman Jamie Docken (Owatonna, Minn.) doubled to right filed
in the top of the fourth.
It became evident early that UMR was already playing in its
19th and 20th games of the 2005 campaign. The Miners' first
batter rapped a base hit and was followed by an RBI triple
as UMR would go on to score seven runs in the first inning
on five hits.
After sitting BSU down one-two-three in the visitors half
of the second, the Miners added two more runs collecting a
pair of hits followed by consecutive walks to plate its eighth
run of the game. An RBI single to left field would put UMR
up 9-0 before BSU ended the inning on a groundout.
The Miners scored two more runs in the third as their first
two batters of the inning reached on singles and scored on
a double giving the team an 11-0 advantage.
Bemidji States' right fielder Docken would rip a one-out
double to right field and would be followed by a walk by Michelle
Taylor (Fr., St. Michael, Minn.). Docken stole third during
the next at bat but that is as far as she would go as the
Miners' Hurler recorded a Brenda Fritz strikeout to end the
inning and BSU's best scoring chance of the game.
UMR used two hits in the bottom of the fourth to score a
run and bring the score to its final outcome of 12-0, shutting
BSU down one-two-three in the fifth. The game was ended after
four and a half innings by the eight-run rule.
Missouri-Rolla pitcher Candice Wilburn held the Beavers to
just two hits in the fine-inning shutout. She posted nine
strikeouts while walking just two batters. She moves to 7-3
on the year.
The Miners were led offensively by Bobbi Rose who went 2-for-2
with a pair of RBIs and a triple.
Andrea Shue (Jr., Roosevelt, Minn.) was on the mound for
BSU in the loss. She gave up 12 runs (11 earned) on 13 hits
while walking two.
The Miners retired the first 10 BSU batters of game two including
five via strikeout. But after the Beavers left two on base
in the top of the fourth on hits by Ryberg and Docken, BSU
only trailed 2-0.
Helped by a pair of BSU fielding errors, the Miners rallied
for five runs in the home half of the fourth. The Beavers
put five consecutive Miners on base allowing four hits.
After retiring BSU in order to begin the fifth inning, UMR
scored an unearned run in the bottom of the inning to go up
by eight and take is second consecutive shutout over BSU.
The the pair of wins extended UMR's record consecutive home
wining streak to 15 games.
Holly Weinberg paced the UMR offensive attack going 2-for-3
with three RBIs and a run scored. On the mound, Renee Roberts
pitched five scoreless innings allowing just two BSU hits
while collecting six strikeouts.
BSU's Ryberg pitched four and two-thirds innings giving up
10 hits and two earned runs. She is now 0-1 on the season.
"This is a young team," commented BSU Head Coach
Paul Brunsdon. "We won't necessarily measure its success
by wins and losses but more by progress. Today were definitely
took a step forward from game one to game two."
The Beavers are 0-2 on the season and will continue their
spring break road trip tomorrow with a double header at Evangel
University in Springfield, Mo. First pitch is slated for 1:00
p.m.
