The Bemidji State University baseball team split a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader at Augustana College Wednesday, as the Beavers fell in extra innings 5-2 (8) in game one and rebounded for a 4-3 victory in game two.

The Beavers (8-9, 2-2 NSIC) scored the first run of the day when freshman Logan Reidel (RHP/OF, Clarissa, Minn.) singled down the right field line to plate freshman Bo Schmitz (C/OF, St. Cloud, Minn.). A two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame then handed the home team a 2-1 advantage.

The game remained 2-1 in the favor of the Vikings until the top of the seventh inning when the Beavers were able to tie the game on an unearned run. Schmitz led off the inning by reaching second on a two-base Augustana error. After being moved to third on a groundout to first, Reidel put the ball in play to score Schmitz and knot the contest 2-2.

After getting two outs in the seventh, but allowing an Augie runner to reach third, head coach Tim Bellew replaced starter Terry Hadden (RHP, Fr., Elk River, Minn.) for lefty Nate Heisick (So., Plymouth, Minn.). Heisick got the final out on a fly to center, forcing extra innings for the fifth time this season for BSU (entered the contest 4-0 in extras in 2014).

In the eighth, sophomore Joey Hanowski (INF/OF, Little Falls, Minn.) posted a two-out single, then stole second to put a runner in scoring position, but the Beavers weren’t able to capitalize. Augie then responded in the bottom half by putting runners on first and second with no outs. After getting an out, the next Viking batter sent a pitch over the outfield fence for a walk-off three-run homerun.

Hadden hurled 6.2 innings and allowed two earned runs on six hits with one strikeout. Heisick suffered the loss and went to 2-2 on the season. Riedel finished the game 2-for-3 with both Bemidji State RBIs.

BSU totaled seven hits and left five runners on base. Augustana recorded eight hits with four left.

The Beavers immediately responded to the heartbreaking loss in game one with three runs in the top of the first inning of game two. Senior outfielder Chad Hanson (St. Paul, Minn.) led off the game with an infield single, then back-to-back walks loaded the bases with no outs. A senior Zach Braun (C, Lakeville, Minn.) sacrifice fly to center scored Hanson, then a Schmitz single to third plated sophomore Tyler Nelson (SS, Hayfield, Minn.). After getting one out, Riedel walked to again load the bases and knockout the Augustana starter. The first batter to face the new pitcher was redshirt-freshman Mason Bellew (1B, Bemidji, Minn.) and he drew a four-pitch walk for an RBI, as Hanowski strolled across home plate to give BSU the 3-0 advantage.

The lead held until Augustana posted a single run in the fourth on a home run from Jack Goihl, the same batter that ended game one. Two Vikings runs in the bottom of the sixth guided the home team to a 3-3 tie, but the Beavers again scored a single run in the top of the seventh inning, which would prove to be the game-winning tally.

The run was aided by a pair of Augustana errors, as Schmitz gained first on a one-out single, then advanced to second on a throwing error by the shortstop. He scored on the next batter when the second baseman recorded an error on a ball hit by senior Cole Bjorge (OF, Prior Lake, Minn.), then the right fielder committed an error, allowing the game-winning run in the seventh on one hit and three Augie errors.

Right-hander Jesse Katz (RS-So., Deerfield, Ill.) earned his first-collegiate victory after throwing six innings and allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits with a career-high eight strikeouts and just one walk. Freshman righty Ryan Rumpca (Ramsey, Minn.) picked up his first-collegiate save by getting the final out of the game with the bases loaded.

The Beavers totaled eight hits to the Vikings’ five, while committing just one error (the only one of the doubleheader compared to five by Augustana). BSU stranded 10 runners in game two, while AC left eight on base. Nelson went 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Schmitz went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.

The Beavers are scheduled to continue their NSIC road trip April 5-6 at University of Mary. Both league doubleheaders are set for a noon start each day.