ST. CLOUD, Minn. (Selke Field) – Mara Johnson (Sr., 2B, Bemidji, Minn.) belted a three-run homer in the first game to help give the Bemidji State University softball team a 6-2 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory over St. Cloud State University Sunday night, and the Huskies took the nightcap 5-0 for the series split.

Bemidji State (7-9, 2-2 NSIC) took an early 1-0 lead after two innings in the first game, and added a couple more in the top of the fourth. One response from the Huskies (14-21, 1-3 NSIC) in the bottom half of the fifth brought the score to 3-1, but Johnson blasted a three-run homer to seal the win for the Beavers.

BSU had 12 hits and conceded only eight, and SCSU finished with two errors.

Courtney Anderson (Fr., P, Virginia, Minn.) collected her second win in as many days, pitching all 7.0 innings and allowing only two runs. She scattered eight hits, struck out two and walked one. Brit Krieg also went the distance for St. Cloud State, but she didn’t fare as well as Anderson. She gave up six runs on 12 hits, struck out three and did not allow a walk.

Johnson was only 1-for-4 from the plate, but she made that one hit count with her fourth homer of the season. Kasey Callison (Sr., 1B, Eagle River, Alaska), Amy Klaers (Sr., 3B/C, Elk River, Minn.), Courtney Loegering (Fr., OF, Spring Lake Park, Minn.) and Bridget Smith (Jr., SS, International Falls, Minn.) were all 2-for-4. All but Smith scored a run, but she drove home two.

Melanie Upchurch was the only Huskie to collect multiple hits, as she went 3-for-3 with an RBI in the game. Sarah Stalker and Steph Cramer scored the two runs, and Stalker also had an RBI.

In the second game, only one inning saw scoring, and it all came from St. Cloud State. BSU was blanked in all seven innings and SCSU dropped five on the Beavers in the bottom of the fifth to take the win in the nightcap.

BSU was outhit 8-3, and committed four errors.

Jamie Lund (So., P, Grantsburn, Wisc.) took the mound for the second game, and responded with 4.2 innings of work to fall to 1-2 on the year. She allowed five runs (none earned) on seven hits, striking out four and walking two. Alison Willard (Sr., P, Hutchinson, Minn.) cleaned up for the Beavers, allowing one hit and no runs in 1.1 innings. She walked one and struck out one.

Kaity Strever went the distance and allowed only three hits for St. Cloud State. She struck out seven and walked one.

Johnson, Smith and Karissa Hendrickson (So., 3B/2B, Big Lake, Minn.) had the three hits for Bemidji State. Emily Edgerton and Sara Sbragia both went 2-for-3 with a run apiece. Edgerton drove home two runs and five different Huskies scored.

Bemidji State will travel to Bismarck, N.D. Apr. 1 for a doubleheader with the University of Mary. The two games that were originally planned to be played in Bemidji are scheduled to begin 2:00 p.m.

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