WAYNE, Neb. – The Bemidji State University Baseball team earned its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference victory of 2023 Sunday evening after splitting its doubleheader with University of Sioux Falls in Wayne, Neb. Junior
Will Lavin pitched a seven-inning complete game in the Beavers' 4-1 victory in game one but BSU then fell 13-11 in 12 innings in game two.
Lavin led the Beavers (2-20, 1-6 NSIC) in the first game of the day after earning his first complete game of the season and held the Cougars (2-19, 1-6 NSIC) to just one run off seven hits and struck out a season-high seven batters. Lavin earned his first win of the season and improves to 1-4.
The Beavers' offense totaled six hits in the game led by
Zach Listiak and
Derek Dolezal who each went 2-for-3. Listiak began the game with an RBI single in the fourth inning to drive in the Beavers' first run while
Hunter Daymond drove in another run with a base hit in the fifth.
Jack Munson hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 3-1 then Dolezal hit an RBI single in the sixth to finish the Beavers' scoring.
Munson hit the lone extra-base hit for BSU, a double in the fourth, which he later scored on when Listiak drove him in.
Bemidji State went down 7-0 in the first two innings of game two but a six-run bottom of the second for the Beavers started a comeback. The Beavers took a 10-9 lead in the third inning and increased the lead to 11-9 in the sixth but a run in the seventh for the Cougars and another in the ninth forced extra innings. After scoreless 10
th and 11
th innings, USF scored two runs in the 12
th and held BSU scoreless in the bottom to salvage the series split.
Six Beavers drove in runs in the game including
James Wirt,
Isaiah Biehn and Daymond who each had two RBI. Wirt and Dolezal paced the team with two hits apiece and the pair each hit doubles while Munson tripled. Daymond was a factor on the base paths and stole two bases while
Ty Karger and Biehn each had one.
Logan Barrick pitched 5.0 innings and allowed nine runs, six earned, off 11 hits while earning four strikeouts and gets the no decision.
Christian Lindow pitched 3.0 innings and struck out three while
Konrad Kisch (L) also pitched three innings and struck out two and
Christian Turner pitched one inning and struck out one.
Bemidji State and the Cougars will play game three tomorrow afternoon at 1:00 p.m., before the Beavers travel to Sioux City, Iowa for a doubleheader against Minnesota State University, Mankato Tuesday.
For more information on the Bemidji State baseball program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversBase), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversBase).
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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