BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team won its fourth game in a row when it swept the University of Mary Tuesday afternoon in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action at Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji, Minn. The two win boosts the Beavers back to .500 overall and in the conference at 18-18 and 7-7 respectively. BSU won game one 3-0 and then completed the sweep with the 5-4 win in game two.
 
The Beavers and Marauders (5-32, 0-18 NSIC) played a scoreless 4.5 innings in game one before BSU broke through with a two-run blast from Alexa Christenson. The Beavers added another run in the sixth when Eliana Christiansen scored when Mary threw out a runner following a fly out to center and then throwback to second.
 
Bemidji State tallied four hits in the victory with three singles from Molly Houts, Mariah Stevenson and Emmarie Yeager plus a home run from Alexa Christenson. BSU also drew three walks in the game, plus Stevenson got a free pass to first after getting hit by a pitch. 
 
Kyla Damerow (8-10) started the game for BSU and pitched her second complete game shutout. Damerow struck out one batter, did not walk a batter and only allowed four hits. The defense recorded 11 ground outs and seven fly outs. The Beavers held Mary without a base runner until the seventh inning in part to a pair of outfield assists throwing out two runners trying to stretch a single into a double. Emari Evans (0-11) pitched 5.0 innings for Mary with three strikeouts, one walk and giving up four hits and three earned runs. Hannah Chambers entered the game in the sixth inning with two runners on and got out of the inning and faced four total batters in an inning of work.
 
Unlike game one, Bemidji State only needed three batters before sending a runner home in the nightcap. Houts singled up the middle and scored Alexa Christenson, followed by a single from Ashley Herold to bring Houts home for an early 2-0 lead. The Marauders in their following at bat brought the game level with a fielder's choice RBI and a single to bring in the tying run. In the fifth inning, BSU struck back to retake the lead with Kora Martin hitting the go-ahead single scoring Morgan Benedict. Houts added a support run in the next at bat to put the Beavers up by two again. Mary answered the following inning scoring two more runs to tie the game up for the second time. Martin once again drove in the go-ahead and winning run in sixth inning to complete the sweep at 5-4.
 
Game two the Beavers recorded two more hits than the first with six, with Martin and Houts having multiple hits. Houts had the only BSU extra base hit in game two doubling in the fifth to bring in a run. Alexa Christenson and Herold also reached base with a single. Bemidji State drew four walks with Stevenson and Herold talking the free pass back-to-back in the fifth.
 
Stella Dolan (9-7) earned her first NSIC win of the season after going six innings and struck out eight batters including striking out the side in the first inning. Dolan gave up seven hits and three earned runs. Damerow entered the game in the seventh for the save and pitched a one-two-three inning to earn her fourth save of the season. Nicole Eckhardt started the game for Mary and went 4.2 innings before Jamison Ness entered in the fifth for one out. Evans (0-12) closed out the game for the Marauders in the final inning giving up only one hit to end up with the loss.
 
The Beavers will hit the road this weekend as they travel to Augustana University on Saturday and Wayne State College on Sunday for a pair of doubleheaders. 
 
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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