Listen to Game 1
Listen to Game 2
The Bemidji State University baseball team won its ninth straight contest in game one of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader against Southwest Minnesota State University Wednesday in the team’s home opener. BSU won 10-3 before, suffering a 6-1 game two loss to split the NSIC double dip.
The Beavers are 21-17 overall and 12-10 in NSIC play with just four games remaining in the regular season. BSU is currently seventh in the league standings and will host No. 12 St. Cloud State University Friday and Saturday to close the season. Game times are set for noon each day, but are likely to be moved back due to low overnight temperatures.
The defense held the game together early for Bemidji State, as the Beavers turned three inning-ending double plays in the first, third and fourth innings to help BSU starter Ryan Van Someren (RHP, Milaca, Minn.).
BSU allowed one in the second, but tied the game 1-1 in the third. Junior outfielder Chad Hanson (St. Paul, Minn.) tripled to lead-off the frame, then the next batter, junior Zach Braun (C, Lakeville, Minn.), plated Hanson on a single to right.
The Beavers took their first lead of the day with two error-aided runs in the fourth. The two unearned tallies handed the home team a 3-1 lead, then a three-run fifth by BSU opened up a 6-1 advantage. After walking and hitting the first two batters of the frame, Mustangs’ starter Brandan Alfson was taken out, but the first pitch of the reliever was a base knock off the bat of freshman Joey Hanowski (INF/OF, Little Falls, Minn.). The hit loaded the bases for senior third baseman Matt Ellinghuysen (St. Charles, Minn.), who delivered an RBI single to center. With one out, Hanson put a sacrifice fly out to left center to score sophomore Jack Hegarty (INF/RHP, Brainerd, Minn.). Braun recorded the last RBI of the inning when his single up the middle allowed Hanowski to cross the plate.
Van Someren allowed a two-run home run in the top of the sixth to end his afternoon and Hegarty came to the mound to finish the inning. The Beavers added some insurance runs in the bottom half of the sixth to take the more comfortable 10-3 lead. Hegarty came back to the mound in the seventh and cleaned up the contest for his second save of the season.
Van Someren finished with 5.1 innings pitched and allowed the three runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. He improved to 4-1 on the season.
Bemidji State totaled 15 hits in the game. Ellinghuysen went 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two RBIs. Senior Trevor Purvis (OF, Rio Rancho, N.M.) also went 3-for-3 and added two RBIs. Hanson, the lead-off man, also posted a three-hit game, as he went 3-for-4 with two runs and two RBIs.
The Mustangs again drew first blood in the second game of the day, as they recorded a single tally in the third, then added a run in both the fourth and fifth innings to own the 3-0 advantage.
SMSU posted a three-run seventh to double-up the Beavers and lead 6-0. BSU was able to muster a run in the eighth, but would fall by the score of 6-1.
The Beavers lost the hits battle 11-6. Two of those BSU hits came off the bat of senior Jaryd Marks (1B/RHP, Cottage Grove, Minn.). He went 2-for-4 with two doubles. Braun also added two hits and drove in the solo run.
Sophomore right-hander Ross Stein (Big Lake, Minn.) made his second start of the season and went five innings in the loss. He allowed three earned runs on seven hits with six strikeouts.