MOORHEAD, Minn. - The Bemidji State University softball team lost both games on the first of a two-day NSIC Northern Crossover in Moorhead. Minn. After an 8-0 loss in which the Beavers were no-hit against Concordia-St. Paul, the Southwest Minnesota State Mustangs used late-inning run support to get past BSU 11-2.

In the first game, Bemidji State ran into a pitcher on her game. CSP’s Mandy Turba nearly pitched a perfect game against the Beavers. She struck out 12 batters and walked none. Only one runner reached base against Turba, which came on an error by the Golden Bears first baseman.

BSU held Concordia-St. Paul’s offense scoreless through the first three innings, keeping the game deadlocked. But, a high-scoring fourth inning by the Golden Bears broke the game wide open. CSP scored all eight of their runs in the inning highlighted by a home run from Elizabeth Plante.

On the mound for the Beavers Andrea Schue (Jr.; Roosevelt, Minn.) pitched all five innings giving up 13 hits and eight earned runs while striking out one.

The second game of the day for the Beavers started out much the same. After both teams going scoreless in the first three innings, Southwest Minnesota State jumped on the board first with a five-run fifth inning, highlighted by an RBI triple from leadoff batter Jessica Donoho.

The Beavers answered, trimming the lead to four in the bottom half of the fifth. Mandy Bambrough (Jr.; Toronto, Ont.) lead the inning off with a double and later moved around to score on a fielder’s choice play off the bat of freshman Heather Kaskinen (Annandale, Minn.)

After SMSU added two more in the top of the sixth, the Beavers plated their only other run in the bottom of the inning. The Beavers loaded the bases on singles from Bambrough and senior MerriAnne Werder (Browerville, Minn.) and a walk by Jamie Docken (Owatonna, Minn.). The next batter, Missy Schleicher (Fr.; Waupun, Wis.), was hit by the pitch, scoring Werder. A pop up by Kaskinen ended the rally.

The Mustangs plated four more runs in the final two innings putting the game out of reach for the Beavers, 11-2. Alaina Ryberg (Jr.; Hudson, Wis.) pitched all seven innings for the Beavers giving up 11 hits and 11 runs, only five of which were earned. She also had six strikeouts while walking 10 Mustang batters.

The second and final day of the NSIC Northern Crossover concludes Sunday with two more games for BSU. The Beavers will take on Wayne State at 9:00 a.m. and then take on Winona State at 1:00 p.m. In their last meeting with Wayne State, the Beavers picked up 3-2 extra-inning victory. -bsu-