MARY, N.D. – The Bemidji State University softball team was tied with University of Mary after through four and a half innings in both games of its doubleheader but two, eight-run surges in the bottom of the fifth inning by the Marauders (21-25, 12-14 NSIC) doomed the Beavers (22-28, 5-21 NSIC). The Beavers fell in game one to the Marauders 9-1 and then fell 13-5 in game two.

With the two losses, the Beavers’ season will officially end this weekend as they fail to qualify for the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Softball Tournament.

Bemidji State 1, Mary 9 (F/5)
Bemidji State started the game by scoring in the first inning when senior Brooke Phillips hit a solo home run, her third of the season, to go up 1-0 and the score remained unchanged until the third inning when Mary drove in an unearned run.

It seemed as the Beavers and Marauders would be in for a close affair but Mary’s offense fired off for eight runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to walk-off and earn the 9-1 victory by run-rule. The Marauders totaled five hits during the inning including a grand slam by Kylie Alto en route to the offensive explosion.

The Beavers were held to just two hits in the game including Phillips’ solo home run while sophomore Stephi Dullum earned the loss in the circle and falls to 9-14 on the season after allowing seven runs, six earned, off of six hits.

Bemidji State 5, Mary 13 (F/5)
Bemidji State jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first inning when Makayla Pagel, Rochelle Koshalek and Olivia Tucker each recorded RBI. For Pagel, her RBI was a significant one as it was her 40^th of the season setting a new program record for most RBI in a season.

The Beavers added another run in the second inning to go up 4-0 but a five-run, second inning highlighted by a two-run home run by Kassidy Chileen for the Marauders put Mary up 5-4. Jessica Burlingame hit a solo home run in the top of the fifth to tie the game but for the second consecutive game, Mary totaled eight runs in the fifth innings to earn the walk-off run-rule victory. The Marauders recorded eight hits in the final inning including the game-winning two-run triple from Chileen.

The Beavers totaled 12 hits in the game including three from Pagel and Burlingame who recorded a double and home run.

Rochelle Koshalek came on to pitch 2.1 innings in relief and earned the loss to fall to 3-6 on the season after she allowed eight runs, seven earned, off of nine hits.

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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