CLERMONT, Fla. – The Bemidji State University Softball team split its first day at The Spring Games on Sunday. The Beavers opened the day against Clarion University falling just short in a tight 3-1 battle and then followed it up with a 3-2 victory over the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown as the games were played in Clermont, Fla., at Legends Park.
After going 0-7 at The Spring Games last season the Beavers earn a win in their second game this year. BSU is now 4-6 on the season and will start Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Mar. 28. Before the start of the conference slate, Bemidji State will travel to Missouri for six games Mar. 17-19.
In the opener of the day, Clarion (5-5) started the scoring in the first inning after Rachel Helsey singled to left field sending in the runner from second. The Golden Eagles stuck again in the third inning with a two-run blast from Helsey to put CU up three runs.
Emmarie Yeager batted in a run the fourth inning for the Beavers, but BSU was unable to push any more runners across the plate.
Bemidji State was successful at the plate with nine hits but were unable to string them together.
Alexa Christenson and Yeager led the team with two hits.
Ashley Herold was the sole student-athlete from BSU with an extra base hit with a double to start the bottom of the fourth and later scored on Yeager's RBI single up the middle.
Senior
Kyla Damerow (1-4) pitched all seven innings for the Beavers for her second complete game of the season. Damerow walked three batters and stuck out one, she forced 12 flyouts and seven groundouts.
In the second game of the day, the Mountain Cats of the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (1-1) struck first with when Kayla Miehl doubled in the first giving UPJ the early 1-0 lead. It wasn't until the fourth inning when the Beavers got on the board. The first five batters all reached safely in the frame as Herold and
Molly Houts drove in the two BSU runs moving the Beavers to the 2-1 advantage. In the bottom on the inning UPJ sent Hannah Gnibus home to level the game at two. The tie didn't last long as BSU answered right back in the following inning. Bemidji State regained the lead in the fifth inning when Aimme Christenson scored for the go-ahead run and what would turn out to be the game-winning run at 3-2.
Pittsburgh-Johnstown out hit Bemidji State 11-8 but were unable to capture the win. Yeager hit a double in the sixth inning to go along with seven BSU singles. Eight student-athletes came away with a hit for Bemidji State along with Aimme Christenson and
Alexa Christenson drawing walks. Bemidji State earned the win against the Mountain Cats in the first meeting between the schools.
Stella Dolan (3-2) pitched a complete game for the fourth time this year and earned her third win of the season. Dolan stuck out a season-high four batters and only walked two. She now has 13 strikeouts on the season in 31 innings pitched.
The Beavers continue The Spring Games tomorrow (Monday) with two morning games. Bemidji State will start the morning off with a game at 8 a.m. against California University of Pennsylvania followed by Saint Anselm College at 10:30 a.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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