JOPLIN, Mo. (Wild Field) --Dominant pitching and costly fielding errors prevented the Bemidji State University softball team from gaining its first win of the 2005 campaign today as the Beavers traveled to Joplin, Mo. to battle Missouri Southern State University in non-conference double-header action.

The Lions would score two runs on a hit and two errors in the bottom of the first and that was all the team would need as Callie Stanford took the hill and threw a dandy. MSSU held the Beavers to just two hits in the five inning shutout retiring the first 13 BSU batters in order including seven strikeouts.

MSSU would add two more runs in the third to take a 4-0 lead.

After Mandy Bambrough (Toronto, Ontario) grounded out to begin the fifth inning, Alaina Ryberg (Hudson, Wis.) belted a single through the right side of the Lions’ defense to collect the Beavers’ first hit of the game. However she was thrown out at second base on the next at bat as Missy Schleicher (Waupun, Wis.) singled up the middle. But the BSU rally would end when Michelle Taylor (St. Michael, Minn.) grounded out to third base.

The Lions came to the plate in the bottom of the fifth and scored four runs to end the game via the eight-run rule. After Erin Gfeller and Alese Woolard walked and singled, Jamie Blaylock cleared the bases with a home run to left field garnering her second, third and fourth RBIs of the game. Marry Barrow ended the game with one swing during he next at bat knocking a home run over the left field wall.

Andrea Schue (Roosevelt, Minn.) was on the mound for the loss allowing eight hits and eight runs (six earned) in four innings of work. She falls to 0-3 on the season.

In the complete-game shutout, Stanford evened her season record to 6-6 facing just one batter more than the minimum (16) in five innings pitched.

In the nightcap, BSU was in contention for the win through the top of the fifth clinging to a 1-1 deadlock, but three fielding errors in the bottom of the inning led to four runs putting BSU in a whole from which they would not dig themselves out.

Bambrough started the BSU scoring in the fourth inning ripping a line-drive down the left field line for her second double of the season. She advanced to third on a ground out to first base by Ryberg and would score as Schleicher singled up the middle knocking in the first run of her career.

MSSU came back in the home half of the inning to tie the game 1-1. Ryberg walked the first Lion she faced in the fourth. Blaylock would steal second during the next at bat and would advance to third on a throwing error by the BSU catcher. Barrow would make BSU pay singling to center to score Blaylock.
The fifth inning would again prove to be troublesome for BSU. After being held scoreless in the top of the stanza, the Beavers would allow four runs on two hits and three errors.

Again BSU would spot MSSU a runner walking the first batter of the inning. Missy Clark would advance to third when Trish Masters singled up the middle. The next batter, Gfeller, would reach on a fielder’s choice but Bambrough would catch Clark trying to score for the first out of the inning. Woolard would reach on an error scoring Masters and Blaylock would follow that up with an RBI of her own reaching on a fielder’s choice. Taylor added two more runs to the Lions’ side of the scoreboard when she singled through the middle of the BSU defense giving MSSU a 5-1 lead after five.

The Beavers threatened a comeback in the top of the sixth loading the bases with just one out, but would fail to advance any of their runners.

Ryberg falls to 0-3 on the season in her longest outing of the young 2005 campaign (six innings). She gave up eight hits and five runs (three earned) while walking two and fanning two.

Katy Owsley improved to 3-3 overall in a complete-game, seven inning win. She allowed six hits and one earned run while racking up three strikeouts.

BSU falls to 0-6 this season. The Beavers will be back in action tomorrow (March 17) when they travel to Pittsburgh, Kan. to battle Pittsburgh State University in a non-conference double dip. The first pitch is slated for 1:00 p.m.