MINOT, N.D. – The Bemidji State University Softball team dropped its first game of the Bubble Invite 6-5 to the hosts Minot State University that took place in Minot on Friday night. The Beavers were trailing 3-1 in the sixth inning before Mariah Stevenson launched one out of the park to pull ahead at 4-3, only to fall 6-5 in the eighth inning.
 
Kora Martin tripled with one in the first inning to get things started for the Beavers (1-4), but a fielder's choice out at home and strikeout ended the threat. The Beavers' bats were held quiet for the next two innings, while in that time Minot State (6-4) plated two in the first and one more in the third for a 3-0 lead. Elaina Christiansen started the fourth inning drawing a walk and then moved to second on a single by Stevenson. Both runners moved into scoring position after a wild pitch and Molly Houts drove in the first Bemidji State run with a groundout to make the score 3-1. 
 
Still down two at the top of the sixth, Martin and Christiansen singled to set up Stevenson's go ahead three-run homerun that sailed over the center field fence for the 4-3 advantage. Minot State answered in the bottom of the sixth taking advantage of a pair of errors to force extra innings. 
 
With the teams playing the international tiebreaker by placing a runner at second to start extra innings, Bemidji State took advantage. Houts added another run in the eighth for her second RBI of the game to put BSU up 5-4 following her single to center. Minot State rallied in the home half, getting an RBI single to tie the game and after an error, a two-out single ended the game with MSU claiming the 6-5 victory.
 
Stella Dolan started the game pitching for BSU and went six innings with two strikeouts, two walks and two earned runs to end up with the no decision. Kyla Damerow (0-2) relived Dolan in the seventh inning seeing four batters to force extra innings. Damerow finished the game with no earned runs, but the fifth error of the game for Bemidji State prolonged the game leading to two unearned runs in the eighth to end up with the loss.
 
Martin and Stevenson paced Bemidji State with two hits apiece, with Stevenson driving in three runs on her homerun. Minot State held the 9-7 advantage in hits.
 
The Beavers continue the Bubble Invite tomorrow (Saturday) starting with University of Providence (Mont.) at 1:00 p.m., followed by Carrol College (Mont.) at 6:00 p.m.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Softball program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), 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.
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association 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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