MARSHALL, Minn. (Alumni Field) -- Freshman Carter Simon provided a spark for Bemidji State University baseball Saturday afternoon with a grand slam despite the team's 12-1 and 14-12 losses to open a three-game series at Southwest Minnesota State University in Marshall, Minn. Simon totaled five RBI in the game two rally as the Beavers fall to 3-21 overall and 2-17 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Mustangs improve to 9-14 overall and 7-13 in the NSIC.

Game One – L, 12-1
Bemidji State was sent down in order to start the game while Southwest Minnesota State led off its half of the first inning with a triple, which set up a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. The Beavers put on two runners in the second but both were stranded ahead of a four-run bottom half for the Mustangs. SMSU put its first five batters of the second inning on base as the Mustangs extended its lead to 5-0 with a two-RBI single, sacrifice fly and a score on a BSU wild pitch.

The Beavers put another runner on base to start the third inning, which set up a sacrifice fly by senior Noah Boser to cut the Mustangs' lead to four, 5-1. SMSU came back to score two runs in the bottom of the third before adding three in the fifth and two in the sixth to extend its lead to 12-1. BSU left just two runners on base after the third inning, one in the sixth and one in the seventh.

Boser went 1-of-2 from the plate with one RBI and one walk while junior Sam Kalberer and freshman Brooks Bachmann each recorded singles to round out BSU's three team hits. Junior pitcher Parker Borg (0-3) took the loss after throwing 3.0 innings with six earned runs on five hits and four walks with two strikeouts.

Game Two – L, 14-12
Freshman starting pitcher Grant Hartmann settled in to game two after allowing two first-inning runs to Southwest Minnesota State by holding it off the board over the next three innings. Hartmann allowed just two baserunners between the second and fourth innings to allow Bemidji State to take a lead. Senior Isaiah Grancorvitz brought home the first run of the game for the Beavers in the second inning before Simon hit his first career home run in the fourth, a grand slam to vault BSU to a 5-2 lead.

Freshman Jack Munson added to the BSU lead with an RBI single in the fifth inning while sophomore Derek Dolezal also came up with an RBI single in the inning. Simon added to his RBI total with a sacrifice fly to wrap up BSU's scoring in the fifth for an 8-2 lead. The Mustangs answered back with five runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth inning before forcing a pitching change and regaining the lead, 10-8, with three runs on four hits in the sixth.

BSU's first two batters of the eighth inning reached base to set up a sacrifice bunt followed by a sacrifice fly from Grancorvitz and an RBI single from sophomore Tom Keohen to tie the game. SMSU again came back to regain the lead in the bottom of the eighth inning as four of its first five batters reached base, the fourth driving in the go-ahead run on an RBI single. The Mustangs scored three runs during the next two at-bats on a fielder's choice, a passed ball and an RBI double to extend its lead to 14-10.

A ninth-inning rally for BSU began with the lead-off batter reaching base followed by a double by Simon two batters later to put two runners in scoring position. Facing two outs after a strikeout, Borg singled up the middle to drive in a run while another run scored on a passed ball to cut the deficit to two, 14-12. The game was ended on a fly out as the tying run was at the plate.

Simon led all Beavers with five RBI on two hits, including his grand slam, while he also tallied two runs and one double. Keohen finished the game 3-of-4 from the plate with one RBI and two runs while Grancorvitz accounted for two RBI. Freshman pitcher Hunter Haggenmiller (1-2) took the loss after throwing 2.1 innings with two earned runs allowed on three hits and one walk.

The Beavers and Mustangs will wrap up the three-game series at 12 p.m. on Sunday in Marshall, Minn.

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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