BEMIDJI, Minn – The Bemidji State University Softball team defeated the University of Minnesota, Duluth 1-0 in the 2023 home opener in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play Tuesday afternoon at Chet Anderson Stadium before losing game two 4-2 in eight innings. This is the Beavers (14-16, 3-5 NSIC) first victory over the Bulldogs (25-8, 11-3 NSIC) since May 5^th, 2017, and first home win in 11 years in the series.
 
The Beavers scored the sole run in the first inning of game one when Mariah Stevenson doubled capitalizing on Alexa Christenson's leadoff single. After the first inning, only eight batters reached base between both teams in the pitcher's duel. Kyla Damerow (5-8) earned her fifth win of the season in her first complete game shutout, allowing only three hits and walked one batter. Damerow stuck out one batter, forced 14 fly outs and five groundouts. Lauren Dixon (10-3) pitched her 11^th complete game for the Bulldogs with 12 strikeouts, one walked batter and gave up five hits and one earned run.
 
With the few hits both teams had Alexa Christenson recorded a multiple hit game knocking two balls in play with singles in the first and fifth inning. Stevenson had the only extra base hit in the game, doubling in her first plate appearance. Morgan Benedict and Aimee Christenson also recorded a single and Elaina Christiansen reached base drawing a walk. 
  
It was a scoreless affair for the first four innings of game two with Stella Dolan for BSU and Mady Stariha of UMD pitching near perfect. To start the fifth inning, Minnesota Duluth recorded a hit with a single up the middle that led to the opening the run. The Bulldogs added one more in the sixth to go up 2-0 entering the final innings. Alexa Christenson reached base on a two-out single up the middle, followed by Kora Martin drawing a walk to put a runner in scoring position for Molly Houts. Houts drove in the first run with a single to center for the Beavers, but a base running error ended the sixth inning with the Beavers down one. Down to their final out, Christiansen sent a ball out to deep right field doubling, driving in the tying run. Entering the eighth inning, UMD scored two runs off an error to end the game 4-2.
 
Just like in game one, BSU recorded five hits with Christiansen having multiple hits. Christiansen reached base with a single and a double and drove in one run. Alexa Christenson, Stevenson and Houts recorded a hit as well. Also reaching base were Martin and Morgan Benedict drawing a walk and Ashley Herold moved a runner up with a sacrifice bunt. 
 
Dolan started the game for the Beavers going 5.2 innings, striking out six batters, walking one and gave up four hits and two earned runs to get the no decision. Damerow (5-9) entered in the sixth inning to get out of a jam and she did just that popping up the batter. She went two more innings striking out two batters and gave up three hits. She ended up with the hard-luck loss allowing the two unearned runs. Stariha started for UMD and lasted six innings, striking out one batter, walking one and gave up three hits and one earned run for the no decision. Allyssa Williams (5-2) entered the game with a chance for the save in the seventh inning and ended up getting the win after recording two strikeouts, walking one batter and giving up one earned run in two innings of work.
 
The Beavers continue their home stretch of games with weekend with back-to-back doubleheaders starting with Minnesota State University, Mankato on Saturday, followed by Concordia University-St. Paul Sunday, with games being played at Chet Anderson Stadium. 
 
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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