ST. PAUL, Minn. (West St. Paul Dome) – A day after going a perfect 3-0 to open the season, the Bemidji State University softball team dropped two of three games making its record 4-2 six games into the 2014 campaign. BSU defeated Carleton College, 8-7, in nine innings and was defeated by Valley City State University, 5-2, and by University of Wisconsin-Superior, 2-1.  

 Freshman Danielle Jecmen (P, Fr., Bloomingdale, Ill.) got the start in the Beavers’ first game of the day. After throwing a no-hitter in her collegiate debut, Jecmen got roughed up a bit, surrendering five Valley City State runs on nine hits. The big blow came in the second frame when the Vikings’ (Who hit the homerun?) hit a three-run homer to give VCSU a 3-0 lead.

The Beavers were able to scratch across a run in the third and in the sixth, but fell to the Vikings by a final score of 5-2. Angie Roberts (OF, Fr., Lino Lakes, Minn.) led the Beavers’ offense going 2-4 with triple and a RBI.

In game two, the Beavers faced Carleton College. Like in the first game of the day, BSU was forced to play from behind as the Golden Knights put up a four spot in the top of the third. Bemidji State would cut the lead in half with a two-run home run from Lyndsey Peterson (So., OF, Cottonwood, Minn.) in the bottom of the fourth.

The Golden Knights scored three additional runs in the top of the fifth to make the score 7-2.

BSU would peck at the lead in the bottom half of the frame with a leadoff home run by Nicole Dupay (OF, Sr., Woodbury, Minn.) and it added another on a RBI groundout by Courtney O’Connor (C, Fr., Shakopee, Minn.), which plated Jessica Yost (P, Fr., Bemidji, Minn.) to make it 7-4 going into the seventh.

Bemidji State would tie the game in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a pair doubles first by Dupay, which plated Megan Bergeson (IF, Sr., New London, Minn.), who reached on an error and Megan Boser (IF, Fr., Pierz, Minn). The second two-bagger was hit by Yost to score Dupay.

Tied 7-7 after seven inning, the game was pushed to extra innings. BSU was the team that came out victorious in the ninth as it filled the bases and Carleton’s pitcher uncorked a wild pitch to allow Angie Roberts (OF, Fr., Andover, Minn.) to score the winning run.

Jecmen would get the win in relief of starter Allison Roberts (P, Jr., Crystal, Minn.). Jecmen pitched four innings of scoreless relief with six strikeouts. Roberts pitched the first five innings and surrendered all seven runs with five strikeouts.

Pitching was the name of the game in the third contest of the day. Wisconsin-Superior got all the runs it would need in the first inning as it plated two runs on a single off of Beaver starter Yost to get a 2-1 victory. Yost held the Yellow Jackets at bay the rest of the way, scattering six hits while striking out three.

Bemidji State could only manage four hits off of UWS starter Nicolle Gross. The biggest knock came off the bat of Cassie MacArthur (IF, Jr., Cottage Grove, Minn.) who tripled down the right field line to score Mikayla Osterman (C, So., Sierra Vista, Ariz.) for the Beavers’ lone run.

The Beavers will return to action when they travel to Myrtle Beach, S.C March 10-14. BSU will play nine games on the spring  trip.

For more information on the Bemidji State athletic programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or sign up for the TXTUpdates from BSUBeavers.com text-messaging system through the "Multimedia" pull down menu on the main page of BSUBeavers.com.

Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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