ST. CLOUD, Minn. –The Bemidji State University softball team split two games with Dakota State University and the University of Wisconsin-Superior Saturday afternoon in the first day of the Husky Dome Tournament.

The Beavers defeated DSU in an offensive explosion in Game 1 of the two-game set, 11-2. After plating five first-inning runs, Bemidji State drove home four in the fourth and two in the fifth to end the game with a run-rule after five innings. Dakota State was only able to manage two runs, both coming in the third inning.

BSU had a season-high 12 hits, led by four players with two. Katie Prettyman (Jr., International Falls, Minn.), Kasey Callison (Jr., Eagle River, Alaska), and Amy Klaers (Jr., Elk River, Minn.) were all 2-for-3 from the plate. Brittany Bolstad (So., International Falls, Minn.) had only one hit, but she led the team with three runs batted in. Klaers, Mara Johnson (Jr., Bemidji, Minn.) and Bridget Smith (Jr., Burnsville, Minn.) all had two RBI. Prettyman, Smith and Karissa Hendrickson (Fr., Big Lake, Minn.) all crossed the plate twice.

Allison Willard (Jr., Hutchinson, Minn.) notched her first win of the season, pitching five strong innings. She gave up just two earned runs and struck out six batters. Mandy Rutledge pitched all five innings for DSU, but she gave up 11 earned runs and struck out just one.

Bemidji State (1-3) lost the second game of the day 4-3 against UW-Superior. After Superior scored three runs in the third inning to go ahead 3-0, the Beavers answered with three unearned runs of their own in the bottom of the third to tie the game. Unfortunately, UW-Superior (1-0) scored the game-winning run in the top of the fifth and BSU was never able to answer despite three errors by UW.

Prettyman and Klaers each had two hits to pace the Beavers, and Smith had the lone RBI.

Kristin Paine (Sr., Chisolm, Minn.) pitched seven innings and allowed four earned runs, while striking out eight batters. She allowed only five hits.

The Beavers will wrap up the tournament Sunday at 10 a.m. with a game against Upper Iowa University.

--bsu--