CLERMONT, Fla. – The Bemidji State University Softball team built off its momentum by defeating California University of Pennsylvania 5-4 in nine innings and rallied back against St. Anselm College coming away with a 4-3 victory at Legends Park in Clermont, Fla. Junior Stella Dolan tallied seven strikeouts on the day, with six coming against Saint Anselm.  
 
After splitting day one at The Spring Games the Beavers built off their win against University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown winning their previous three games and are 3-1 in Florida.
 
Elaina Christiansen started the scoring against California-Pennsylvania with a two-run homerun in the first inning driving in Alexa Christenson, who started the game with a single. Mariah Stevenson added to the Beavers lead with a sacrifice bunt in the fourth inning sending Christiansen home for the second time in the game. The Vulcans were able to capitalize on an error in the sixth to level the game at three and later force extra innings. Kora Martin in the eighth hit a sacrifice fly to left field to regain the lead but California-Pennsylvania answered back with a sacrifice fly of its own. Ashley Herold scored the winning run the ninth with a bunt to send Christiansen home.
 
Bemidji State had five hits in the game with Christiansen having a two-hit game with a triple and homerun. Stevenson also had an extra base hit with a double in the sixth inning. Alexa Christenson and Herold were the other student-athletes to record a hit in the game. Aubrey Aukerman, Stevenson and Martin were able to move runners with sacrifice hits. Alexa Christenson attempted stealing a base for the first time this season and was successful twice.
 
Senior Kyla Damerow (1-4) started the game for BSU going 5.1 innings tallying six strikeouts and three walks. Damerow gave up three runs for a season ERA of 3.43. Dolan came into the game at the sixth inning with bases loaded and was able to get out of the inning to keep the score level. In the 3.2 innings pitched, Dolan recorded one strikeout, one walk, no earned runs and the win.
 
In game two Saint Anselm took an early 1-0 lead after capitalizing on a leadoff triple in the second inning. Alexa Christianson led off the fourth inning with a single to the shortstop. Christiansen grounded out for the second out of the inning but pushed Alexa Christenson to scoring position, where Stevenson drove her home with a single to center to tie the game. The Hawks reclaimed the lead a couple innings later with a two-out, two-RBI triple from Gracie O'Hara. Bemidji State rallied in the bottom of the sixth driving in three runs from Christiansen, Stevenson and Herold to win the game 4-3.
 
For the second game of the day the Beavers recorded five hits, but only recorded one extra base hit with an RBI double by Christensen. Alexa Christenson had her second game with multiple hits with two. Stevenson and Molly Houts were the other student-athletes singling in the win. Emmarie Yeager drew the sole BSU walk. Stephanie Ferguson came into the game to pinch run and stole a base in the fifth inning.
 
Dolan (5-2) picked up her second win of the day and fifth of the season. Dolan recorded a season-high six strikeouts. She only walked one batter and had only one earned run to improve her ERA to 3.61. Damerow was called upon in the seventh inning to finish out the game where she faced three batters striking out one and earned the first BSU save of the season.
 
Bemidji State continues in The Spring Games tomorrow (Tuesday) as they take on Millersville University and Ashland University. The Beavers start the afternoon off against Millersville at 1 p.m., followed by Ashland at 3:30 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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