SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Bemidji State University Baseball team secured its first Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference series victory of 2026 and since 2024 after splitting its doubleheader against Northern State University Sunday afternoon at Ronken Field in Sioux Falls, S.D. After falling in the first game 6-3 the Beavers bounced back with a decisive 12-4 victory in the game two.
 
In game one, Bemidji State hit a solo home run and a double among its seven hits but was unable to overcome the Wolves' late-game surge. NSU secured the win with a pair of two-run innings in the sixth and seventh, totaling nine hits in the game.
 
Noah Drusch posted a standout performance, recording two hits, including a home run, and scoring two runs. Josh Haugen struck out a career-high eight batters over 5 1/3 innings while allowing four earned runs, and Adrian Falcon contributed with a hit, a run scored, and successfully stole a base.
 
Haugen pitched 5 1/3 innings in his fourth start of the season, the most he has pitched this season. He allowed six hits and four earned runs while recording eight strikeouts for the Beavers. He faced 25 batters, walked two, and threw 96 pitches, 63 of which were strikes. Jacob Smith relieved Haugen, pitching 1 2/3 innings and conceding three hits and two earned runs with one strikeout.
 
Northern State took an early lead in the first inning with a solo home run. Bemidji State went scoreless in its half, leaving the score at 1-0 in favor of NSU after one inning. Noah Drusch tied the game for Bemidji State in the second inning with a solo home run to right field, evening the score at 1-1 after two.
 
NSU regained the lead in the third inning with an RBI single. Adrian Falcon later scored for Bemidji State, capitalizing on a fielding error to keep the score even at 2-2 after three innings. Bemidji State pulled ahead in the fourth inning when Drusch doubled and advanced on a single by Hunter Hyden, eventually scoring to give the Beavers a 3-2 lead.
 
The score remained unchanged in the fifth inning, with neither team adding to their totals. NSU took control in the sixth inning, scoring two runs, and extended its lead with a two-RBI single in the seventh, making it 6-3. Bemidji State was unable to respond, leaving the final score at 6-3 in favor of NSU.
 
In game two, Bemidji State secured a decisive 12-4 victory, jumping to an early lead with four runs in the first inning and maintaining momentum with additional scoring bursts in the second, seventh, and eighth innings. NSU managed to add two runs in the eighth, but Bemidji State's pitching and error-free fielding ensured the win.
 
Beau Thoma made a significant offensive impact with three hits and a home run, while Nash Rubins contributed two hits, two RBIs, and crossed the plate three times. Jack Feldman notched a season-high total of three hits and achieved three runs batted in, including two RBIs with runners in scoring position. On the mound, Beau Barry pitched a season-high seven innings, allowing four hits and three earned runs while striking out two batters.
 
Barry pitched seven innings in his fourth start of the season, allowing four hits and three earned runs while walking four and striking out two. He threw a season-high 100 pitches with 57 strikes, recording 14 flyouts and 4 groundouts. Riley Czech threw for 2/3 of an inning, surrendering one earned run on three walks with one strikeout. Andrew Murphy closed with 1 1/3 innings, conceding one hit and recording one strikeout, while keeping the game scoreless.
 
In the first inning of game 2, NSU took an early lead with two runs on a single. Bemidji State responded with four runs, highlighted by a two-RBI single from Feldman. In the second inning, Thoma homered to left field, and Matt Filippi doubled to score Drusch, extending the lead to 6-2.
 
The seventh inning saw Bemidji State adding three more runs. Rubins singled, stole second, and scored on a single by Feldman. The eighth inning featured more runs for Bemidji State, with Rubins' ground-rule double scoring two runs and later scoring on a wild pitch, cementing the lead at 12-4. The ninth inning was quiet for both teams, sealing the 12-4 victory for Bemidji State.
 
The Beavers moved to 5-10 on the season and 2-4 in conference play and are winners of four of their last five games. BSU will attempt to win back-to-back series for the first time since 2016 when the two teams meet again for a non-conference, seven-inning game tomorrow at Noon.
 
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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