CLERMONT, Fla. – The Bemidji State University softball team wrapped up play in Clermont, Fla., this afternoon by splitting its games against Slippery Rock University and Lock Haven University. The Beavers (8-10) fell to the Rock 3-2 in game one of the day but responded with a 1-0 win over Lock Haven in eight innings.

Slippery Rock 3, Bemidji State 2
The Beavers held a 2-0 lead after three innings but runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings by Slippery Rock derailed the Beavers attempt for victory. Junior Rochelle Koshalek drove in both runs for BSU with a two-RBI double in the second but an error in the fourth brought the Rock within one. SRU tied the game with an RBI single in the fifth and later drove in the game-winning run with another RBI single in the sixth.

Freshman Stephi Dullum pitched all seven innings in the loss and falls to 3-5 on the season. She allowed 11 hits and earned three strikeouts in the circle.

Juniors Makayla Pagel and Brooke Phillips each went 2-for-3 at the plate to lead the team.

Bemidji State 1, Lock Haven 0 (F/8)
The final game of the week would feature a pitcher’s duel on the field and forced extra innings after both starting pitchers held their opponent scoreless through seven innings. Both teams totaled five hits in the game but the Beavers cracked the scoreboard first from an RBI single by senior Logan McDonnel in the top of the eighth inning.

After having a runner placed on second to start the inning, Lacy Hiltner advanced to third on a passed ball and was brought in by McDonnel in the next at bat.   The one-run lead would prove to be all that was needed for junior pitcher Rochelle Koshalek who forced 24 putouts in the game to earn her first complete game shutout. The Bald Eagles would advance runners to second and third but two pop-ups and a strikeout by Koshalek ended the inning and game.

Koshalek improved to 2-2 on the season with the win after allowing just five hits with one strikeout. Makayla Pagel would be the lone Beaver to record two hits and finished the game 2-for-4.

Bemidji State returns to Minnesota to play in the Concordia-Moorhead Game in St. Paul, Minn., Mar 21-22 and will face Finlandia University, Concordia College (MN) and Bethany Lutheran.

For more information on the Bemidji State softball program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversSB), 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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