ROSEMONT, Ill. – Bemidji State University Softball (3-5) participated in day two of the Lewis Dome Invitational in Rosemont, Illinois, where they faced Wayne State University and Roosevelt University on Friday.
 
In their first matchup, Bemidji State fell to Wayne State University with a final score of 14-2. The game started with Wayne State taking an early lead, scoring two runs in the first inning. Rylie Josephson capitalized on a throwing error to reach third base, and Logan Forman's single brought both Josephson and Morgan Williams home, ending the inning with a 2-0 advantage for WSU.
 
Bemidji State responded in the third inning when Alexa Christenson singled to start the inning. She later scored from a single by Calleigh Richards, but Wayne State had already increased their lead to 6-1 after adding three runs in the second inning, which included a three-run homer by Forman. The Beavers scored again in the fifth inning when Jackie Larsen singled and later scored due to a throwing error, but it was not enough to overcome Wayne State's strong performance. Bemidji State tallied two runs on six hits, while Wayne State boasted 14 runs on 17 hits.
 
Elle Hastings pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and five runs (four earned), with two walks and no strikeouts. Keira Lucero contributed 1 2/3 innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs with no strikeouts. Payton Prissel pitched two innings, yielding seven hits and five earned runs, striking out one and walking one. 
 
Jackie Larsen led the Beavers with two hits and a run scored while also stealing a base. Senior Mariah Stevenson recorded one hit in two at-bats and contributed four assists defensively. Freshman Calleigh Richards drove in one run and collected one hit in three at-bats, and Aimee Christenson added two assists in the field, though she went hitless.
 
Later in the day, Bemidji State rebounded with a strong performance against Roosevelt University, winning 8-2. The Beavers started off strong in the first inning, scoring three runs. Jackie Larsen walked and stole second, later scoring on an error. Mariah Stevenson reached on a fielder's choice, and Molly Houts walked, setting up Alayna DeGraef's single up the middle, driving in Stevenson. Aubrey Aukerman's single to right field brought Houts home, giving BSU a quick 3-0 lead.
 
Bemidji State continued to add to their lead in the fourth inning with another run, as Aimee Christenson's single and subsequent error allowed her to score on Larsen's fielder's choice, making it 4-1. A significant sixth inning saw BSU increase their lead; Molly Houts hit a triple to right center, scoring two runs, and Calleigh Richards followed with a ground-rule double to add another RBI as Houts scored. A final run was added in the seventh inning when Jackie Larsen doubled to right center, driving in Maddie Kielsmeier, despite RU scoring once in the bottom of the frame.
 
Kennedy Joachim pitched a complete game for Bemidji State, allowing 11 hits and 2 earned runs over 7 innings, striking out 11 batters and not issuing any walks. Jackie Larsen led the team offensively with a .500 batting average, contributing one hit, two runs, and two RBIs, along with a double and two stolen bases. Houts also had a solid game, hitting a triple among her two hits and driving in two runs while scoring twice.
 
Up next, Bemidji State softball faces Upper Iowa University on February 22, 2025, at 9 a.m. in Rosemont, Ill., followed by closing the Lewis Dome Invite against Hillsdale College at 11 a.m.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Softball program, tickets or schedules, visit BSUBeavers.com, follow the Beavers on X (@BSUBeaversSB), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and like 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 and women's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).