Two more wins Thursday extends BSU’s win streak to eight games
In its final non-conference action before Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play, the Bemidji State University softball team earned two wins to extend its winning streak to eight games Thursday afternoon. The Beavers (17-7) began the day by defeating Bethany Lutheran College 10-2 in six innings followed by defeating Concordia College-Moorhead, 12-5.
The Beavers wrap up the non-conference portion of their 2019 schedule and will begin league play next week when they travel to University of Minnesota, Crookson Tuesday, Mar. 26.
Bemidji State 10, Bethany Lutheran 2 (F6)
The Beavers drove in 10 runs off of 12 hits to defeat the Vikings 10-2 in six innings while the Beaver’s pitching staff held BLC to just three hits in the first action Thursday morning.
Bemidji State started the scoring by scoring two runs off of a Vikings error in the first inning. BSU then added two more runs in the second off of RBI’s from Rochelle Koshalek and Jessica Burlingame. Bethany Lutheran responded with a run in the bottom of the second but the Beavers added another two runs from a two-RBI double from Koshalek in the third. An RBI single in the fourth from Brooke Phillips made the score 7-1 but the Vikings added a run in the bottom half of the inning to make it 7-2. Freshman Elaina Christiansen hit an RBI double in the fifth while Kelsey McAllister hit a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to make the final score 10-2.
Seven Beavers totaled a hit in the game led by Burlingame and McAllister who each totaled three hits. Koshalek led the Beavers by totaling three RBI in the game while McAllister followed with two.
Junior Megan Pehrson started in the circle and earned the win after pitching five innings and held the Vikings to just three hits and two runs, one unearned. She struck out nine batters to tie a career high to improve to a 4-2 record on the season. Freshman Kaidron McClafferty came in to pitch the final inning and didn’t allow a hit or run while earning two strikeouts.
Concordia-Moorhead 5, Bemidji State 12
Bemidji State and Concordia-Moorhead were tied 1-1 through the first three innings but the Beavers exploded for nine runs in the bottom of the third inning to take a 10-1 lead over the Cobbers. However, Concordia-Moorhead responded with four runs in the fourth to pull within five of the BSU. The Beavers would bounce back with two more runs in the fifth inning to make it 12-5 before eventually shutting out the Cobbers in the sixth and seventh innings to seal the victory.
Seven Beavers recorded a hit in the game led by senior Kelsey McAllister who went 4-for-4 with two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Lexi Derrick, freshman Elaina Christiansen and senior Makayla Pagel followed with two hits each.
The Beavers’ offense was highlighted by sophomore Sami Trana who hit her first career home run, a grand slam in the third inning. Trana went 1-for-1 at the plate with two walks, a sacrifice fly and led the Beavers by driving in five runs.
Freshman Kaidron McClafferty earned the win in the circle and improves to 3-0 on the season after holding the Cobbers to five runs off of six hits in 3.1 innings and earned four strikeouts. Sophomore Stephi Dullum came in to pitch 3.2 innings and limited the Cobbers to just one hit, no runs and earned five strikeouts.
Bemidji State begins NSIC play next week and will travel to Minnesota Crookston for a doubleheader Tuesday, Mar. 26 at 1 and 3 p.m.