VIERA, Fla. — Bemidji State University Softball (5-12) had a mixed first two days at the Space Coast Spring Games, starting with a commanding 9-3 victory against Cedarville University (3-12), followed by a 8-3 loss to Southern New Hampshire University (5-4), and concluding with an impressive 8-0 win over Roosevelt (6-14).
 
In the opener against Cedarville, the Beavers' offense was on fire, tallying 13 hits, including four doubles and a triple. The action started early as Bemidji State racked up three runs in the first inning, with Alayna DeGraef kicking things off with a double down the right field line, followed by Jackie Larsen's RBI single. Larsen then scored on a wild pitch, and Aubrey Aukerman crossed home plate thanks to a double by Brianna Ness, putting the Beavers up 3-2 by the end of the first. The second inning saw Calleigh Richards triple to right field, driving in DeGraef and Larsen, extending the lead to 5-2. 
 
The Beavers kept the momentum going, adding two more runs in the third inning with Jillian Johnson's double bringing Ness home and scoring herself after Kassandra Balabon's bunt single. By the end of the fourth, Richards walked and scored on a single by Morgan Benedict, making it 8-2. Cedarville managed to add a run in the seventh, but the final score stood at 9-3 in favor of Bemidji State. Sydney Klusman pitched a complete game, allowing 10 hits and striking out 2 batters. Richards had a standout performance with two hits and three RBIs, while Larsen and Ness each contributed significantly with multiple hits.
 
However, the Beavers faced a setback against Southern New Hampshire. The game was scoreless until the second inning when Aukerman walked, stole second, and scored on a wild pitch, giving Bemidji State a 1-0 lead. Southern New Hampshire responded, taking advantage of an error and several walks in the fourth inning, scoring three unearned runs. The Beavers answered back with a solo home run by Brianna Ness, trimming the deficit to 3-2. They tied the game at 3-3 in the fifth when Jenna Burd scored from third on a bases-loaded walk to Richards. Unfortunately, a five-run explosion by Southern New Hampshire in the sixth, capped by a two-RBI double from Alys Abbott, sealed the game, with the final score at 8-3.
 
In their final game against Roosevelt, Bemidji State bounced back with an 8-0 victory in six innings. The Beavers took charge early when Richards scored on a wild pitch in the first inning. In the third, Larsen crossed the plate on Ness's sacrifice fly, stretching the lead to 2-0. The decisive fifth inning saw Larsen score on a throwing error before Ness hit a two-run home run, her second homer of the weekend. The sixth inning included a groundout by Larsen that brought Kappes home, and a daring steal of home by DeGraef. Richards capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly, leading to an 8-0 triumph. Danica Sarff was dominant on the mound, throwing a complete-game shutout with six strikeouts, allowing just three hits.
 
Next up, Bemidji State will face Thomas More University on Sunday, March 8, at the USSSA Space Coast Complex in Melbourne, Florida, with a 10 a.m. EST first pitch.
 
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).