BEMIDJI, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team travels south this weekend as it returns to its regularly scheduled games with Winona State University and Upper Iowa University in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Beavers start their weekend on Friday in Winona, Minn., as they begin their doubleheader with the Warriors at 1 p.m. The following day BSU continues south to Fayette, Iowa to face the Peacocks with a pair of games starting at 1 p.m.
 
The Beavers started NSIC action last Monday with Minnesota State University, Moorhead where they split the doubleheader claiming game one 6-4 then falling 3-5 to the Dragons. Bemidji State has already exceeded the previous three season win totals at 12 with 24 games remaining in its schedule.
 
Continuing to lead the Beavers at the dish is sophomore Mariah Stevenson batting .377 and leads the team with 14 RBI's along with Ashley Herold. Stevenson recorded four hits in her first two NSIC games this season to go along with a double and two RBI's. Alexa Christenson is behind Stevenson batting .347 and also had four hits and two runs batted in in the previous two games.  
 
Junior Stella Dolan (8-5) recorded her 200^th career strikeout against MSU Moorhead in just her third season and is eighth all time in program history. Dolan leads the Beavers with a 3.58 ERA through 16 appearances and 76.1 innings pitched. She also leads the team and is 11^th in the NSIC with 50 strikeouts. Senior Kyla Damerow (3-7) picked up her third win of the season, tying her season high. Damerow has a 4.40 ERA, second on the team along with 28 strikeouts on the season.
 
Scouting Winona State
The Warriors are 22-9 overall and 5-1 in the NSIC, winning their last two games against Southwest Minnesota State University 8-1 and 10-3. Winona State is batting .285 and is third in the NSIC with an ERA of 2.53. WSU is led by graduate student Marissa Mullen batting .424 and batted in 31 runs through 30 games. Abby Smith (12-2) and Abbie Hlas (8-3) is the pitching duo for the Warriors, Smith has the fourth best ERA in the conference at 1.63 and Hlas is behind her at 2.41. The pair have combined for 99 strikeouts with Smith recording 55 k's.   
 
Scouting Upper Iowa
The Peacocks are 10-14 overall and 2-4 in the NSIC splitting their last two games against University of Sioux Falls. UIU ranks fourth in the NSIC in batting average at .310 and 12^th in the conference with a 4.82 ERA. Junior Laila Pelds is first in the NSIC with a .436 batting average. Pelds has recorded 34 hits, four doubles and two home runs in 24 games and leads the Peacocks with 18 RBI's. Abby Buckman (4-3) leads UIU with an earned run average of 4.78 through 52.2 innings of work. Delaney Vetter (3-5) is behind her with an ERA of 5.87 and sixth in the conference with 63 strikeouts.
 
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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