BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Baseball Field) - The Wayne State College Wildcats took the first two games of a four game series with the Bemidji State Beavers this afternoon at the BSU Baseball Field. The Wildcats were able to fend of a late inning rally by the Beavers in Game 1 to hold on to a 10-9 win in extra innings and then took the nightcap, 16-1. Wayne State used six home runs on the day to help them garner the two wins.

The first game of the day saw the Wildcats jump out to a 7-1 lead, but the Beavers were able to battle back and eventually tie the contest at 9-9 to send the game into extra innings. Wayne State got on the board first in the first inning, Diego Marquez highlighted the inning with a two out RBI double to right center field to give the Wildcats a 2-0 lead. BSU cut the Wildcat lead in half in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back doubles by Josh Juntunen (Elk River, Minn.) and Eric Pilgrim (Park Rapids, Minn.). Juntunen got the Beavers on the board when he scored on Pilgrim’s double.

In the second inning of play the Wildcats scored five runs to push their lead to 7-1. The Wildcats once again rallied with two outs Adam Hoffman drove in two runs on a triple to right field and then Scott Bidroski and Marc Manganaro hit back-to-back home runs to produce the final three runs of the inning.

Tony Meech (Menahga, Minn.) made a relief appearance in the third inning and was able to shutdown the Wildcat bats holding them scoreless in three straight innings. Bemidji State started to cut into the Wildcat lead scoring four unanswered runs in the fourth and fifth innings to bring them within striking distance. Rich Bohannan (Goodyear, Ariz.) drove in the lone Beaver run in the fourth inning on a double to left field. The Beavers loaded the bases in the fifth inning and Josh Silvernagel (Bismarck, N.D.) hit a two out double to left center field to clear the bases and bring the Beavers to within two runs of the Wildcats, 7-5.
Wayne State added to its lead in the sixth inning when Marquez hit a two run homer over the left field wall to push the Wildcat lead to 9-5. Marquez’s homerun was the third homerun of the game for the Wildcats.

The Beavers did not quit as they were able to plate four runs in bottom of the inning to tie the contest up at 9-9. Mike Wagner (Plymouth, N.H.) started the inning with a lead off single. Pilgrim and Anthony Stoloski (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) hit back-to-back doubles to continue the inning for the Beavers. Stoloski’s double platted Wagner from third for the first run of the inning. Ryan Bohannan (Goodyear, Ariz.) then stepped to the plate and tied the contest with one swing of the bat. Bohannan hit a three run homerun over the right field wall, his first homerun of the season and his first homerun as a Beaver.

The Beavers loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning but was unable to push the game winning run across home plate. Wayne State used the long ball once again in the eight inning as Scott Bidroski hit his second homerun of the game to give the Wildcats a one run lead at 10-9. Wayne State shut the Beavers down in the bottom of the eight and was able to hold on to a 10-9 win in Game 1.

Kevin Morel (Shoreview, Minn.) got the start for the Beavers. Morel surrendered seven runs (seven earned) on seven hits in two innings of work. Meech and Juntunen made relief appearances. Meech pitched four innings allowing two runs (two earned) on six hits with one strikeout while Juntunen pitched two inning of relief giving up one run (one earned) on two hits with two strikeouts.

Nick Schumacher pitched 4 2/3 innings surrendering five runs (five earned) on nine hits with nine strikeouts. Nathan Gettler and Adam McGuire made relief appearances for the Wildcats. Gettler pitched 1 1/3 innings allowing four run (four earned) on four hits with two strikeouts and McGuire pitched two solid innings give up no runs on just two hits.

Game 2 was never in doubt for the Wildcats as they scored at least one run in six of the seven innings. Wayne State took a 15-0 lead going into the bottom of the fifth inning. The Wildcats scored one run in the first, three runs in both the second and third innings, one run in the fourth and seven runs in the fifth for the fifteen run lead. Ian DeLaet and Dustin Jones each hit homerun in the contest. Jones went 2-for-4 in the game with six RBI’s.

The Beavers broke up the shutout in the fifth inning P.J. McIntee (Randolph, Minn.) hit a sacrifice fly to center field allowing Mark Henry (Grand Rapids, Minn.) to score from third. That was all the runs the Beaver offense would be able to produce as they were held to seven hits in the game.

Karl Willers (Slayton, Minn.) got his second start of the season for the Beavers going just 2 1/3 innings surrendering seven runs (seven earned) on four hits with three strikeouts. Casey Allar (Sartell, Minn.) Gary Molck (East Grand Forks, Minn.) and Jake Kluver (Little Falls, Minn.) all made relief appearances for the Beavers. Allar allowed eight runs (eight earned) on seven hits with three strikeouts in two innings of work, Molck surrendered just one run (one earned) on one hit in 1 2/3 innings and Kluver allowed no runs and no hits with two strikeouts in on inning pitched.

Mitch Herrick pitched 4 2/3 solid innings, allowing one run (one earned) on five hits with four strikeouts. Jim Sake made the lone relief appearance for the Beavers pitching 2 1/3 innings giving up just two hits.
Eric Pilgrim led the Beavers at the plate going 4-for-6 in the two games with two runs scored and one RBI.

Bemidji State (6-39 / 4-20 NSIC) and Wayne State (33-12 / 23-5 NSIC) and Wayne State will wrap up its four game series with a doubleheader tomorrow afternoon. The first pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 12:00 p.m. Tomorrow, between games one and two Bemidji State will honor it’s four seniors as they will play their final home game tomorrow afternoon.

--beavers--