BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Baseball Field) -- Bemidji State’s baseball team managed 14 hits off three Minnesota Duluth pitchers and scored two runs in a two-game double-header sweep at the hands of the Bulldogs this afternoon in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. A fourth-inning pinch hit RBI single by Paul Newman (Sr., 1B, Durhamville, N.Y.) and a RBI double in the seventh by Alex Messick (So., C, Lakeville, Minn.) accounted for BSU’s two runs in a 13-2 Game 1 loss, and BSU was held to five hits and stuck out 11 times in a 4-0 shutout loss in Game 2.

Minnesota Duluth scored all 13 of its runs in Game 1 with two outs. The Bulldogs jumped out ahead of BSU 3-0 through three and a half innings of play. In the second inning Will Dahlgren doubled to left center field and then scored off a two out RBI single by Josh Threlkeld to put UMD up 1-0. A two out double off the bat of Tyler Erickson followed by RBI single to right field by Dave Olson gave UMD a 2-0 lead at the end of the third. A two out home run off the bat of Threlkeld in the fourth gave the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead.

BSU mounted a two-out rally of its own in the fourth cutting UMD’s lead to 3-1. Justin Huether (Sr., OF/RHP, Brainerd, Minn.) started the rally with a single down the left field line and then moved to second with a single off the bat of Ryan Sander (So., INF/RHP, St. James, Minn.). Anthony Turk (Sr., OF, Little Falls, Minn.) kept the rally by loading the bases after getting hit by a pitch. Newman delivered a pinch hit RBI single to left field to get BSU on the board, 3-1.

Minnesota Duluth broke open a two run game with a two out rally scoring 10 runs, pushing its lead to 13-1. The Bulldogs managed to send 10 batters to the plate during the rally pounding out nine hits. UMD pounded out three doubles, five singles and a home run during the rally putting the game out of reach for the Beavers.

Sander and Messick both doubled in the seventh inning for BSU’s second run of the game but that was all BSU could get as the Beavers fell 13-2 in Game 1.

Matt Fossen (So., RHP, Bemidji, Minn.) took the loss for BSU seeing his record fall to 0-2. Fossen worked 4.1 innings while giving up four runs (four earned) off six hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Three Beavers worked in relief allowing nine runs (seven earned) off nine hits with a walk. Ethan Branum (Fr., LHP, Brainerd, Minn.) and Bryan Buhr (Sr., RHP, Frazee, Minn.) each lasted just 1/3 of an inning. Branum gave up five runs (five earned) off five hits while Buhr allowed four runs (two earned) off four hits with a walk. Bryan Jamieson (So., RHP, Maplewood, Minn.) pitched a perfect sixth and seventh to finish the game for BSU.

Gary Wilfahrt Jr. improved his record to 2-4 for UMD as he pitch a complete game gem. He allowed two runs (two earned) scattering nine BSU hits with one walk and one strikeout.

Sander led BSU at the plate going 2-for-3 in the contest with one runs scored.

In Game 2, the Bulldogs scored twice in the top of the second on a RBI sacrifice fly by Jake Kluver and a RBI single by Bryan Denisen, then rode the pitching of Anders Engberg to the win.

BSU pounded out four of their five hits in the second and third innings but could only push the base runners as far as second base. The Bulldogs pushed their lead to 4-0 with a pair of runs in the third inning. A two RBI homer off the bat of Dahlgren with one out gave UMD a 4-0 lead. The Bulldogs loaded the bases with one out threatening to blow the game open but BSU starter Ryan Bohannan (Sr., OF/RHP, Goodyear, Ariz.) buckled down and got a strikeout and a pop out to get out of the inning.

The four-run lead was more than enough for Engberg, who held BSU to five hits - a pair of singles by Huether and Nick Jelacie (So., OF, Brainerd, Minn.) in the second, a pair of singles by Josh Silvernagel (Jr., SS/RHP, Bismarck, N.D.) and Colton Smith (So., 3B/RHP, Waddel, Ariz.) in the third and a sixth inning single by Ryan Johnson (So., OF, Bemidji, Minn.). He struck out 11 BSU batters, improving his record to 2-1 on the year. Josh Foreman was perfect in the final inning.

Bohanan pitched 6.0 innings giving up four runs (four earned) off nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks seeing his record fall to 1-5 on the season. Huether worked the seventh allowing just one hit in relief.

Bemidji State dropped to 12-29 overall after the sweep, 5-18 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, while Minnesota Duluth improved its season mark to 16-24 and 8-12 in the NSIC. Bemidji State will be back in action on Wednesday, Apr. 22 with a double-dip versus the University of Mary in Bismarck, N.D. First pitch of the double-header is slated for 2 p.m.

Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

--beavers--