ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team split its final games before Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Sunday with a win over the University of Wisconsin-Parkside (4-3) then falling in the rematch to Concordia University-St. Paul (12-4) at the Huskie Dome in St. Cloud, Minn. BSU enters NSIC action at 11-11. The 11 wins already equals last year's (11-31) win total.
The Beavers found themselves down 1-0 after the first inning against the Rangers (9-13) in the opening game of the day. With a runner in scoring position,
Emmarie Yeager singled to right to level the game in the second. UWP added two more runs from a Mia Johnson home run and an RBI single from Jadynn Powell to put the Rangers up 3-1 entering the fifth inning.
Molly Houts brought Bemidji State square in the sixth frame with her first triple of the season to drive in
Aimee Christenson and
Alexa Christenson who opened the inning reaching without a hit.
Mariah Stevenson followed up Houts with a go-ahead single to right field driving in pinch-runner
Stephanie Ferguson for the 4-3 advantage.
Stella Dolan worked into the seventh getting an out before
Kyla Damerow came on to record her third save of the season getting two outs on just two pitches.
Houts and Stevenson had multiple hit days with the pair hitting four of Bemidji State's seven. Houts recorded the only extra base hit with a triple in the sixth inning.
Ashley Herold,
Grace Gumiela and Yeager also recorded hits for the Beavers.
Aimee Christenson drew the only walk in the game that ended up producing a run in the sixth inning rally.
Dolan (8-4) earned her eighth win of the season going 6.1 innings. Dolan stuck out three batters, walk no one and gave up three earned runs. Damerow came in to get the last two outs with the game tying run on first. Damerow only need two pitches to end the game with both batters popping out to the infield.
The Golden Bears (14-11) did not need long to build a lead on the Beavers in the second game of the day going up 6-0 at the end of the second and then added four more runs the following inning.
Down 10-0, BSU started to put a comeback together with the bases loaded and just one out to start the fourth inning.
Alexa Christenson started the scoring for the Beavers with a bases clearing triple. Her big hit drove in Yeager,
Morgan Benedict and
Kora Martin. Houts followed it up with a sacrifice fly to right field to bring the game to 10-4. The momentum ended there for Bemidji State and Concordia-St. Paul added two more runs to end the game in the fifth inning.
Five student-athletes came away with a hit in the loss with three being extra base hits;
Alexa Christenson tripled, Stevenson and Yeager doubled.
Aimee Christenson came into pitch hit and recorded a single along with Benedict singling in the fourth inning. Houts drew two walks along with Herold and Martin who drew one.
Damerow (2-7) started the game for BSU and finished the day with two innings striking out one batter.
Abby Kessel was called upon in the third inning and went one inning before
Elle Hastings then went 1.2 innings. Damerow ended up coming back in during the fifth inning getting two outs before the Golden Bears had the walk-off hit. Bryanna Olson (9-6) pitched a complete game for the Golden Bears earning the win in five innings. Olson recorded six strikeouts, four walks and gave up four earned runs.
Bemidji State will start conference play on Tuesday, Mar. 28 when they host the University of Minnesota, Crookston for a double header that will begin at 2 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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