CLERMONT, Fla. – Bemidji State University Softball grabbed four-of-six wins this week as they kicked off The Spring Games at Legends Park in Clermont, Fla. The Beavers swept day one then split the following two days.
 
Starting out with Ashland University, the Beavers began their week with a 4-3 victory Thursday. The Beavers kicked off the game with two unearned runs in the first inning, the first from Alexa Christenson on a wild pitch and the second from Jackie Larsen advancing to home on an error. Ashland would go on to score the same in the bottom of the first to tie it up. BSU bounced back with Molly Houts hitting a single, then grabbing second on an error and sending Maddie Kielsmeier home. Mariah Stevenson then hit Alexa Christenson into home on a single to center field in the seventh inning. AU grabbed one more run late in the seventh, but it wasn't enough to stop the Beavers. 
 
Run scoring was a common theme in game two with Bemidji State taking down College of Staten Island, 11-7, Thursday night. Up to bat first, the Dolphins found a pair of runs in the first, but the Beavers answered back with three of their own in the second half of the inning. They added to their lead in the second with another pair of runs. CSI found two in the third and BSU matched that in the fourth. A run for each team between the fifth and sixth made it 11-5 in favor of BSU. CSI pulled a little closer in the seventh with a home run and base hit, making it a final score of 11-7.
 
BSU's first loss of the tournament came from West Virginia Wesleyan College Friday morning. Bemidji State scored first in the third inning but couldn't get home for the remainder. WVWC found the scoreboard in the fourth with a solo run, then added to their lead with three runs in the seventh. 
 
Bouncing back in game four, BSU took down Clarion University, 7-1. Singles from Molly Houts, Danica Sarff and Avery Amidon brought home both Houts and Sarff, along with Alexa Christenson and Jackie Larsen. Clarion grabbed its solo run in the third off a single but failed to get back on the board following. In the fourth, Aubrey Aukerman reached home on a fielder's choice, marking an out for Jackie Larsen on second and pushing Morgan Benedict to third, who then scored on an error in the same play. The Beavers sealed the deal with two runs in the fifth from an Avery Amidon double with Molly Houts heading home and a sacrifice fly from Morgan Benedict sending Jillian Johnson home. 
 
Day three followed a similar layout to Friday with the Beavers falling in the first and taking the second game. Taking on Indiana University of Pennsylvania first, BSU fell just short with a 3-2 loss. IUP grabbed solo runs in three of the first four innings with no answer back from BSU. The Beavers then grabbed a pair in the sixth with Aubrey Aukerman's single sending Aimee Christenson home and Mariah Stevenson's fielder's choice hit pushing Alexa Christenson in. 
 
Closing the first third of the tournament, Bemidji State headed into its off day on a high with a 4-3 win in eight innings against Glenville State University. The Pioneers started strong with a pair of runs in the second, to which the Beavers answered with one in the third on a Morgan Benedict walk, sending Mariah Stevenson home. GSU grabbed their final run in the fourth, making it 3-1. Putting on their backward-visor rally caps, the Beavers would then score a run in the sixth, seventh and eighth.
 
The Beavers' pitching staff split the work of a 4-2 series with just one pitcher, Kennedy Joachim, pitching a complete game against Clarion. The staff pitched 39 hits with 21 runs and 23 walks, plus 34 strikeouts with a high of nine against Ashland. Kennedy Joachim led the pitchers with a 3-0 record, grabbing wins in all three appearances. Keira Lucero also grabbed a win, the first of her career. On the flipside, Payton Prissel was credited with the Beavers' two losses. 
 
Bemidji State's offense created opportunities with a combined 52 hits, 10 walks and 29 runs scored. They marked four doubles, one triple, six stolen bases and were hit by pitches four times. Of these hits, two were on Molly Houts in the same game, moving her to 25 in her career and tying the all-time career record. On the record front, Morgan Benedict caught a runner stealing, giving her second place in the all-time record for caught stealing by and is just one short of tying. BSU's go-to base thief, Jackie Larsen, now holds second for most stolen bases, a record shared between Beaver alumnus Elaina Christiansen and Jessica Burlingame at 29. 
 
The Beavers now have Sunday off before returning to play on Monday afternoon with Northwood University at 1 p.m. CST and Point Park University at 4:15 p.m. They're then scheduled for Bentley University and Lake Erie College Tuesday. Another break Wednesday gives the Beavers a day of rest before taking on Queens College and University of Indianapolis Thursday. They close the trip out with Emporia State University and Saint Martin's University Friday afternoon. 
 
Games are available on the Fastpitch TV Network and via live statistics on the BSU Beavers website.  
 
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).