BEMIDJI, Minn. – In its first home series of the season and first in 347 days, the Bemidji State University Baseball team fell in both games of its Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader against University of Minnesota Duluth. The Beavers were victims of a walk-off in game one falling 7-5 by way of a two-run home run. The Beavers then fell 11-1 in seven innings in game two.
Bemidji State falls to 2-36 on the season and are 1-22 in NSIC play.
The Beavers battled the Bulldogs (14-20, 7-14 NSIC) hard in game one that featured four lead changes. Minnesota Duluth began the scoring in the second innings with back-to-back RBI singles for the early 2-0 lead. After two innings of shutout baseball, Bemidji State got on the board when freshman
Nick Ekstrum hit his first career home run, a three-run shot to left field to put the Beavers up 3-2 in the top of the fifth.
The Bulldogs answered in the bottom half of the inning with a solo home run of their own tying the game and then retook the lead with two more runs in the sixth. The Beavers would answer again this time coming from the bat of junior
Zach Listiak who hit a two-run double off the wall to tie the game once again.
However, with one out in the seventh inning, UMD's Alex Wattermann hit a two-run home run to earn the 7-5 walk-off victory for the Bulldogs.
The Beavers scored their five runs off eight hits led by Ekstrum with the first multi-hit game of his career going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBI and scored a run. Junior
Jack Munson went 2-for-4 for his team-leading 10
th multi-hit game of the season recording two base hits and scored once. Listiak went 1-for-3 with a double, walk and two RBI while
James Wirt,
Jackson Schaffer and
Hunter Daymond each recorded hits.
Sophomore
Isaiah Biehn started the game on the mound for the Beavers and pitched five innings earning the no decision. He allowed five runs (four earned) off 10 hits, walked two and struck out a season-high six batters. Freshman
Christian Lindow (0-2) earned the loss after giving up the game-winning home run. He pitched 1.2 innings allowing just two hits, walked none and struck out two.
The Beavers collected seven hits in game two but could not find a way to drive in runs scoring just once while leaving six runners on base. BSU couldn't match the offensive power of the Bulldogs falling by run-rule, 11-1, in seven innings. The Beavers held the Bulldogs to just three runs through the first five innings but UMD exploded for eight runs in the final two innings to come away with the game two victory.
Munson drove in the Beavers' lone run of the game after hitting a solo home run in the third inning.
He recorded two hits for his second consecutive multi-hit game and finished the day 2-for-3 with a home run, double, RBI and run scored. Wirt and
Derek Dolezal also recorded two hits in the game with Dolezal going 2-for-2 with a pair of base hits and drew a walk. Wirt went 2-for-4 with a pair of base hits.
Ty Karger collected the final base hit for the Beavers and went 1-for-3.
Freshman
Ethan Lung (0-4) started the game for BSU and pitched 4.0 innings allowing three runs off three hits, didn't walk a batter and struck out three to earn the loss. He was replaced by freshman
Lucas Pierce who pitched 1.2 innings and allowed four runs off four hits, walked two and struck out two. Sophomore
Derek Hoffman then threw 0.1 innings allowing three runs off three hits before suffering injury and was replaced by
Beau Barry who faced two batters and allowed a walk and the final two-run double.
Bemidji State will now return to the road and travel south to face Southwest Minnesota State University for a three-game series with the Mustangs beginning with a doubleheader Saturday, April 22 and ending with one game Sunday.
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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