KISSIMMEE, Fla. – The Bemidji State University softball team rebounded from losing three straight games with two wins against Bentley University and Indiana University (Pa.) Thursday afternoon in Kissimmee, Florida. The Beavers (11-7) used late game heroics to fuel the two wins after defeating Bentley 1-0 and IUP 4-3 in nine innings.

Bentley 0, Bemidji State 1
The first game of the day would be a tight battle between the Beavers and Falcons with both pitchers dominating in the circle. Sophomore Stephi Dullum held Bentley to just three hits in the game while Falcon’s pitcher Elise Pereira held BSU to just two. However, the Beavers would end up on top when freshman Elaina Christiansen came in to pinch hit and laid down a bunt to score Sami Dullum in the fifth inning for the game’s only run.

Dullum pitched the complete game shutout, her first of the season after holding the Falcons to just three hits and earned seven strikeouts and improves to 6-3 on the season to lead BSU. Dullum paces the Beavers with a 1.33 earned run average in 52.2 innings.

Sophomore Sami Dullum recorded the other hit for the Beavers when she bunted for a base hit two batters before Christiansen.

Bemidji State 4, IUP 3 (F/9)
Bemdji State and IUP would play a back-and-forth game in the second action of the day and would need extra innings to determine a winner. BSU started the scoring with an RBI double by Sami Trana in the second inning and the Crimson Hawks would respond in the fifth inning with a run of their own after Beaver error scored the game-tying run.

The score remained unchanged through seven innings and would be determined in extra innings. Bemidji State batted first in the eighth inning and with the international run rule, a base-runner would be placed on second base at the start of each inning. BSU scored first in the top of the eighth when Lexi Derrick hit a sacrifice fly that scored Elaina Christiansen from third.

IUP responded with a run in the bottom half of the inning to tie the game once again. However, with a two-RBI double in the top of the ninth by senior Brooke Phillips, the Beavers took a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the ninth. The Crimson Hawks loaded the bases with two outs and made it 4-3 after Renee Wall was hit by a pitch. However, the Beavers’ defense didn’t break and was able to get the final out to earn the victory.

Sami Trana led the Beavers with two hits in the game and had one RBI while Phillips was 1-for-4 with two RBI and a double. Senior Rochelle Koshalek started the game in the circle for BSU and pitched five innings and allowed one run (unearned) for the no decision while junior Megan Pehrson earned the win after pitching four innings in relief and allowed just one hit and two runs, both unearned, to improve to 3-2.

Bemidji State closes out its spring break trip tomorrow afternoon by facing Indiana Tech University and Lourdes University at 9 a.m. and 1:45 p.m.

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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