BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team's schedule alters again to start Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action with Northern State University and Minnesota State University, Moorhead this weekend. The Beavers start the weekend against Northern State on Sunday, Apr. 2, followed by MSU Moorhead on Monday, with both series played in Aberdeen, S.D., in the Presentation College Dome.
 
The last time out the Beavers competed in four games in St. Cloud, Minn., two weeks ago where they went 1-3 with their victory coming over University of Wisconsin-Parkside. BSU also took on St. Could State University and Concordia University-St. Paul in nonconference play.
 
Sophomore Mariah Stevenson leads the Beavers batting .355 to go along with 22 hits, six doubles and two home runs. Stevenson has three multiple hit games with a three-hit game coming against Providence College. Sophomore Alexa Christenson is right behind her at .323 with 21 hits with two doubles, two triples and a home run and leads BSU with 14 runs scored. Senior Ashley Herold has 14 runs batted in, the most on the team and a batting average of .290.
 
Junior Stella Dolan (8-4) leads the Beavers in pitching with an ERA of 3.60 and has pitched seven complete games and one shutout. Dolan has 47 strikeouts and is two away from reaching 200 career strikeouts to become the eighth student athlete from BSU to accomplish the feat. Kyla Damerow (2-7) follows Dolan with an ERA of 4.44. This season Damerow has three complete games in 14 games pitched along with a conference high three saves. In the first game against Concordia-St. Paul junior Abby Kessel made her Bemidji State debut and pitched a scoreless inning.
 
Scouting Northern State
The Wolves have started the season 6-16 and dropped their first two conference games against MSU Moorhead. Leading NSU at the dish is freshman Krya Knudtson batting .345 and appearing in all 22 games this season. Tevan Bryant and Claire Zbylut have both drove in double digits run with 13 and 12, respectively. Senior Meghan Anderson (2-5) leads the Wolves with a 3.75 ERA through her 37.1 innings pitched. Anderson has pitched four complete games and stuck out 42 batters. Northern State is coached by Ashley Schilling in her second year.
 
Scouting MSU Moorhead
The Dragons are 14-6 overall and 2-0 in the NSIC claiming two victories over Northern State to start conference play. Freshman Mack Gallagher leads the NSIC with 32 RBI's and an .800 slugging percentage to go along with the 11^th best batting average at .400. Junior Reece Dahl (1-2) leads MSUM with an ERA of 3.69 through 24.2 innings pitched and held opposing batters to a .301 batting average. Dahl has appeared in 11 games and struck out 23 batters. The Dragons are coached by Mike Armitage in his second season.
 
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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