WAYNE, Neb. – The Bemidji State University Baseball team fell to Wayne State College with a final score of 19-7 on Sunday at Pete Chapman Complex in Wayne, Neb. Bemidji State managed 11 hits, including two home runs, but struggled defensively with three errors. Wayne State capitalized with an explosive fifth inning, scoring eight runs to secure its lead.
 
Jack Feldman scored two runs and added an RBI on a double. Beau Thoma contributed with two hits and drove in two runs, including a double extending his hit streak to 20. Noah Drusch also added two RBIs and hit a home run, scoring once. Hunter Hyden matched with a home run of his own, tallying two RBIs and scoring a run.
 
Castle Huggard started on the mound for Bemidji State but faced early struggles, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks without recording an out. Jacob Smith followed, pitching 1 1/3 innings and yielding five runs on two hits, including a home run, while striking out one. Cole Smith recorded 2 2/3 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and walking one, while also inducing a double play. Tyson Hagen and Devon Cook each faced challenges, with Hagen giving up four runs in 2/3 inning and Cook surrendering four earned runs over 1 1/3 innings, both contributing to a tough outing for the staff.
 
Bemidji State started strong in the first inning with Feldman singling to center field and later stealing second base. Hyden's two-run homer to left center brought Feldman home, giving Bemidji State an early 2-0 lead. The Wildcats responded with two runs of its own, tying the game at 2-2 after the first inning.
 
In the second inning, WSC took control. After loading the bases, Nathan Cunningham doubled to right center, driving in three runs. Paul Schuyler then hit a two-run homer, extending the lead to 7-2 at the end of the second inning.
 
The fifth inning saw the Wildcats expand their lead significantly. An RBI double by Prychak and a grand slam by Schuyler contributed to an eight-run inning, putting them ahead 15-2 by the end of the fifth.
 
Bemidji State rallied in the seventh inning. Nick Ekstrum and Steven Koscielniak each singled, setting the stage for Feldman and Thoma, who hit back-to-back doubles. Drusch capped the inning with a two-run homer to left center, reducing the deficit to 19-7. However, the effort was not enough to overcome the substantial lead.
 
In their next game, Bemidji State will travel Southwest Minnesota State at 1:30 p.m. CT Wednesday, April 1, at Legion Field in Marshall, Minnesota.
 
For more information on the Bemidji State Baseball program, follow the Beavers on X, like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram.
 
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 Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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