PHOENIX, Ariz. ­— Nine different Bemidji State batters recorded a hit and junior left-hander Phil Bray (Chatfield, Minn.) allowed just two runs in six innings, as the BSU baseball team recorded a 16-2 victory in a nine-inning contest against Malone University Thursday in Phoenix, Ariz. at the RussMatt Greater Phoenix Invitational. In two games against the Pioneers the Beavers (6-3) recorded 31 runs and allowed 16.

Bray threw five shutout innings before he allowed a pair in the sixth, but at that point the Beavers had scored five in the third, three in the fourth and a run in the fifth to own a 9-0 advantage. Bray fanned four batters and allowed the runs (both earned) on four hits to improve to 3-0 in 2011-12. Freshman Mike Hanson (RHP, Cass Lake, Minn) and junior righty Brett Muron (Winnipeg, Manitoba) followed Bray on the bump, as Hanson threw two scoreless and Muron hurled a 1-2-3 ninth.

A five-hit, five-run bottom of the third started the scoring for BSU that included a two out single up the middle by junior Matt Ellinghuysen (3B, Saint Charles, Minn.) that scored two runs. The Beavers used four hits to score three in the fourth to own a 8-0 lead. That inning was started by a lead-off triple by sophomore Chad Hanson (OF, St. Paul, Minn.) and the scoring was ended by a senior Juan Molero (OF, Maracaibo, Venezuela) double to left field that scored junior Logan Kalis (RHP, Little Falls, Minn.).

A single run in the fifth put BSU up 9-0 before Malone got on the board. The Beavers were blanked in the bottom of the sixth, but tallied three in the seventh and four in the eight to run off with the 16-2 victory. BSU had a season-high 22 hits in the game, while allowing just four Pioneer hits. Those 22 hits created 14 RBIs to tie a season-high that was set against Malone March 6.

Kalis finished the game with four hits (4-for-5), four runs scored and four RBIs. One of those hits was a two-run bomb in the eight inning for the first home run of the season for any Bemidji State batter. C. Hanson, Ellinghuysen, junior Jaryd Marks (RHP/1B, Cottage Grove, Minn.) and sophomore Zach Braun (C, Lakeville, Minn.) all recorded three hits in the game. Marks had four RBI and C. Hanson crossed home plate three times. Two other players posted multi-hit games for BSU.

The Beavers are 4-1 on their Arizona trip and conclude the spring break getaway March 9 against Rockford College at 11 a.m.
 
Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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