ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Bemidji State University softball team began the season 0-2 after falling to both the University of South Dakota (8-0, five innings) and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference foe Northern State University (6-2) Saturday morning in the first day of the Husky Dome Invitational hosted by St. Cloud State University.

In the first game of the day, which began at 8:00 a.m., BSU was overpowered by USD pitcher Brittany Donohue, who threw a no hitter in 5.0 innings. She faced 17 Beavers and struck out 14 in an 8-0 victory for the Division I Coyotes. Her lone non-out occurred with the first batter of the game, when she walked Kasey Callison (Sr., 1B, Eagle River, Alaska).

South Dakota recorded nine hits, and both teams had one error.

Alison Willard (Sr., P, Hutchinson, Minn.) threw the first game, pitching all 4.0 innings for Bemidji State. She allowed six earned runs, while striking out three and walking four.

BSU had little time to recover, as the green and white took on the Wolves at 10:00 a.m.

Both teams plated single runs in the second before NSU scored twice in the third to take a 3-1 lead. The two teams would again exchange runs in the fourth and Northern State added two more in the sixth to take the game 6-2.

BSU was outhit 7-2 and had two errors to NSU’s one.

Bridget Smith (Sr., SS, Burnsville, Minn.) and Amy Klaers (Sr., 3B/C, Elk River, Minn.) recorded the two hits for Bemidji State, and Mara Johnson (Sr., 2B, Bemidji, Minn.) and Klaers would plate the two runs. Jamie Lund (So., P, Grantsburn, Wisc.) and Smith had the two runs batted in.

Lund pitched for BSU, throwing 5.2 innings and allowed three earned runs. She allowed five hits, while striking out four and walking five. Courtney Anderson (Fr., P, Virginia, Minn.) threw the final 1.1 innings and allowed one earned run and two hits. Breanna Milnes went the distance for the Wolves, striking out eight and walking two in 7.0 innings. Both runs allowed were unearned.

Bemidji State will play two more games in St. Cloud before returning home, beginning tonight at 8:00 p.m. against Valley City State University and ending at 4:00 p.m. Sunday against St. Cloud State.

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