ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team split its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference games against Minnesota State University, Moorhead rallying back from four down to claim a 6-4 victory but fell in the following game 5-3. The Beavers have surpassed their win total from the previous three seasons with 12 in the early part of the season. The games on Monday were played in St. Cloud, Minn.
 
MSU Moorhead (17-7, 5-1 NSIC) took an early lead in the opener with two runs in the first inning and added two more runs in the third with a home run from Mack Gallagher. Emmarie Yeager landed the Beavers on the board with a two-out RBI double to set up Jennifer Smith with two runners in scoring position. Smith followed through with a single to cut the deficit to two. Bemidji State (12-12, 1-1 NSIC) added one more run in the fourth from a wild pitch. The following inning BSU tied the game up on an error, before claiming the lead in the sixth inning when Alexa Christenson singled. The Beavers added an insurance run in the seventh from the bat of Elaina Christiansen and came away with a 6-4 victory.
 
The Beavers tallied 10 hits to the Dragons' 7 with Smith, Yeager and Alexa Christenson all having multiple hits. Yeager and Smith recorded a double in the action with Kora Martin and Ashley Herold also getting a hit. Alexa Christenson reached base three time with two singles and getting hit by a pitch. Bemidji State was 2-for-2 in stealing base with Alexa Christenson and Stephanie Ferguson taking an extra base.
 
Kyla Damerow (3-7) started the game for BSU and picked up the win after going 5.1 innings. Damerow struck out four batters, gave up three earned runs and did not give up a walk. Stella Dolan came on in the sixth inning with runners on first and second to pitch out of the jam. Dolan then pitched a scoreless seventh inning to earn her first save of the season.
 
The Dragons stared the second game just like the first with a couple of early runs with Evey Evans going deep in the first MSUM at-bat. The Beavers responded in the third with a three-run inning starting with Alexa Christenson sending Ferguson home, then a two-out, two-RBI double from Mariah Stevenson to go up 3-2. MSU Moorhead regained the lead after an error scored two runners in the fourth before adding the final run in the fifth to win 5-3.
 
In game two Bemidji State reached base nine times, seven from hits, along with a walk and hit batter. Alexa Christenson finished the day with four hits and an RBI in both games. Stevenson also finished with multiple hits in game two with a single and a double, driving in two runs. Smith drew the only walk in both games to go along with her double in game two. 
 
Stella Dolan (8-5) started the game and lasted 4.2 innings. Dolan stuck out two batters to reach 201 career strikeouts, the eighth most in program history. Dolan pitched her fourth game in a row without walking a batter. Abby Kessel came on in relief in the fifth inning and did not give up a hit in her 1.1 innings of work and stuck out one of the four batters she saw. Evans (3-3) earned the win for the Dragons pitching the final three innings, only giving up two hits.
 
The Beavers plan to be back in action this weekend as they travel to Winona, Minn., and Fayette, Iowa. Bemidji State will start its weekend with Winona State University on Friday Apr. 7 at 1 p.m., followed by Upper Iowa University on Saturday also at 1 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).
 
--bsu--