WAYNE, Neb. -- Bemidji State University baseball clinched a series-opening split Saturday following an 11-0 loss and 11-6 win at Wayne State College in Wayne, Neb. The Beavers served as the home team as part of a site reversal while seniors Sam Kalberer and Tom Keohen recorded four RBIs each in BSU's win.

Game One – WSC, 11-0
Wayne State jumped ahead early with four runs in the first inning of game one. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with no outs while a hit by pitch, single, and triple lead to a 4-0 Wildcat lead. BSU bounced back with two one-out hits in the bottom of the first, but a double play ended the scoring threat.

The Beavers stranded two base runners between the second and third innings as the Wildcats extended their lead with six runs on five hits in the top of the fourth inning. Bemidji State put four runners on base through the next four innings to end the game.

Junior Logan Barrick (1-4) started the game and went 3.1 innings with four strikeouts, three walks and seven hits allowed. Freshman Jacob Marx pitched the final 3.2 innings for BSU with two strikeouts, three walks and three hits allowed.

Junior John Perkins accounted for two of BSU's six hits on the day as he went 2-for-2 from the plate with one walk.

Game Two – BSU, 11-6
The Wildcats also struck first in game two but senior pitcher Jackson Back (1-1) limited the damage to one run on an RBI double. Freshman Isaiah Biehn led off the bottom half with BSU's first hit while the Bemidji State side was retired in order in the bottom of the second inning. Five of WSC's first six batters of the third inning recorded hits setting up four runs to take a 5-0 lead.

Entering the bottom of the fourth inning with two hits, BSU totaled that amount in the home half of the fourth to score three runs. Senior Parker Borg and sophomore Jack Munson each reached base by walks while senior Tom Keohen drove them both in on a two-RBI triple to right center field. Sophomore Carter Simon followed Keohen with a sacrifice fly to cut WSC's lead to two, 5-3.

Back retired all three batters faced in the fifth inning and was put in line for the win as BSU scored four runs on five hits in the bottom of the fifth. Perkins led off the inning with a single and advanced to second, setting up an RBI single from senior Sam Kalberer to bring BSU within one run of WSC. Keohen drove in Borg and Kalberer on a two-RBI single to third base for BSU's first lead of the game, 6-5. Junior Derek Dolezal added to the lead with an RBI single to left center field.

A lead-off single by junior Gabriel Davis in the sixth inning set up Biehn with an RBI single to left field to extend BSU's lead, 8-5. Junior Christian Turner threw 3.0 innings and kept two WSC runners stranded in the top of the eighth inning to preserve BSU's lead. Kalberer hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning to seal the win, his third home run of the season.

Back earned the win after throwing 5.0 innings with four strikeouts and one walk. Senior pitcher Travis Carruth threw the ninth inning to close the game.

Bemidji State hit 6-of-7 with runners in scoring position and left just four runners on base through the game. Biehn led BSU with three hits while Kalberer and Keohen each recorded two hits with four RBI and scored two runs. Davis and Dolezal both went 2-of-4 from the plate, with one RBI from Dolezal and one run from Davis.

Bemidji State and Wayne State are scheduled to close out the three-game series at 12 p.m. Sunday at Pete Chapman Baseball Complex.

For more information on the Bemidji State athletic programs, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or follow on Instagram (@BSUBeavers).

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 Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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