ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Bemidji State University softball team officially opened its 2022 campaign at the Kelly Laas Softball Tournament in St. Cloud, Minn., this afternoon. The Beavers fell in game one of the day to St. Cloud State University, 4-0, and then lost to Northwestern College (Iowa) 6-3 in game two.

Bemidji State struggled against Husky pitcher Trinity Junker who held the Beavers to just three hits in the game and struck out a career-high 17 batters. BSU's lone hits were from sophomore Molly Houts, junior Jenn Smith and freshman Alexa Christenson. All three hits were singles. 

Bemidji State sophomore Stella Dolan pitched all six innings for the Beavers and allowed four earned runs off of 10 hits, one home run and struck out five batters.

Game two was better for the Beavers' offense as they were able to produce three runs off of nine hits. Smith started the Beavers' scoring for the game with the season's first run off of an RBI double in the second inning. Northwestern answered in the bottom half of the inning however, with four runs off of three hits and one error. 

BSU scored again in the fourth inning when junior Emmarie Yeager hit an RBI single to bring the Beaves within two at 4-2. However, the Raiders added to their run total in the sixth inning by scoring two runs off of a passed ball and an RBI single to increase their lead to 6-2. 

Bemidji State added a run from senior Kora Martin in the seventh inning but were unable to score anymore and fell 6-3 to the Raiders and fell to 0-2 on the season. 

Redshirt sophomore Kyla Damerow started the game in the circle for the Beavers and pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four runs, three earned, off of five hits to earn her first loss of the season. Senior Kaidron McClafferty came in to pitch 4.1 innings in relief and allowed two runs, off of four hits and struck out two batters.

Bemidji State continues play at the Kelly Laas Softball Tournament tomorrow and Sunday. The Beavers will face Northwester College again at 11 a.m., tomorrow morning followed by University of Sioux Falls at 1 p.m. 

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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