CROOKSTON, Minn. – The Bemidji State University Softball team exploded for 15 runs in game one at University of Minnesota, Crookston Wednesday afternoon but the Golden Eagles held on to claim a 6-5 victory in game two to salvage the split in their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader.
 
The Beavers scored the most runs since 2019 totaling 15 runs off 13 hits in a 15-0 dominant victory in game one. Leading the way for Bemidji State was junior Aimee Christenson who went 3-for-4 at the plate with a career-high six RBI off a home run, double and was a triple away from the cycle.
 
She was joined by freshman Jackie Larsen who went 2-for-3, hit her first collegiate home run and added a double, walk and drove in four runs. Sophomore Morgan Benedict joined the home run party and hit her first of the season and finished the game going 2-for-4 with a home run, base hit and three RBI.
 
Senior Stella Dolan was just as dominant in the circle as the Beavers were at the plate and held the Golden Eagles to just five hits and collected her second shutout of the season. She improved to 8-14 on the season after pitching all five innings and earned four strikeouts.
 
The Beavers fell just short of a comeback in game two and after trailing 5-0 after the third inning, they stormed back to pull within one with a four-run fourth inning. However, they came just short of the tying run eventually falling 6-5 in the game.
 
BSU used consecutive base hits to get on the scoreboard stringing together six consecutive hits in the fourth to score four runs. The Beavers didn't get an extra-base hit in the game and nine different batters collected a hit.
 
Larsen and senior Molly Houts led the team with two hits each while Houts, Mariah Stevenson, Dolan, Avery Amidon and Maddie Kielsmeier each hit RBI singles.
 
Freshman Danica Sarff earned the loss in the circle pitching two innings and allowed four runs (two earned) off two hits, walked two and struck out four.
 
The Beavers will continue play on the road and travel to Bismarck and Minot, N.D., for a pair of doubleheaders against University of Mary and Minot State University Saturday-Sunday, respectively.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State softball program, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversSB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BemidjiStateSoftball) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversSB).
 
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
 
--bsu—