The Bemidji State University baseball team got two quality starts from its starting pitching staff to guide the Beavers to a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Concordia University, St. Paul Friday at BSU Baseball Field. Bemidji State won game one 2-0 and game two 13-1 (seven innings).
The Bemidji State (15-14, 9-7 NSIC) pitching staff allowed just one unearned on 13 hits and fanned 12 Golden Bear (18-10, 10-8 NSIC) batters. Sophomore Tyler Nelson (SS, Hayfield, Minn.) had a day, as he went 5-for-6 with seven runs scored and two walks. He went 4-for-4 with five runs scored in game two.
The Bemidji State defense was also stellar, as the squad didn’t commit a single error and turned two double plays in the twin bill.
The Beavers entered the twin bill getting out scored 32-11, but posted six runs in the first inning in the two games Friday.
Game 1
Junior right-hander Tyler Saeugling (Dubuque, Iowa) hurled six complete innings and faced one batter in the seventh to earn the game one win and improve to 3-4 in 2014. He gave up seven hits, while fanning four and issuing just one walk. Junior righty Drake Huggans (Greenley, Colo.) earned his sixth save of the season, as he got all three batters he faced to watch strike three.
The Beavers only mustered four hits, but got a pair of two-out base knocks to plate both runs.
Senior catcher Zach Braun (C, Lakeville, Minn.) singled to left in the first inning to plate Nelson and give BSU the 1-0 lead.
In the top half of the third, BSU got the third out on a play at the plate, as the relay came in from left, cut off by sophomore Joey Hanowski (3B, Little Falls, Minn.) and out at the dish on a textbook block by Braun.
In the bottom half, Hanowski ripped a double down the left field line to score Nelson from third and give the home team a 2-0 lead.
The two runs proved to be enough for Saeugling and Huggans, as the Beavers snapped a four-game losing skid.
Game 2
In addition to Nelson’s performance in game two, three other BSU batters recorded multiple hit games to help the team reach 15 for the contest. Hanowski went 3-for-3 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Braun went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run. Freshman Bo Schmitz (C, St. Cloud, Minn.) added a 2-for-4 game with three RBIs and a run scored.
Freshman-redshirt Mark Kosmalski (RHP, Oakdale, Minn.) went the distance on the bump for Bemidji State, as he allowed one unearned run on six hits with five strikeouts and just two free passes (one hit by pitch). He picked up his first-collegiate victory in the process, as he improved to 1-2.
The Beavers batted through the order in the first frame of game two to erupt for five runs (one earned) on four hits and two Concordia-St. Paul errors. The inning was highlighted by a two-out, bases-clearing double down the left field line by junior Dylan Webb (1B, Ahwatukee, Ariz.) to plate three runs and hand the home team a 4-0 lead.
The 5-0 lead went to 6-0 in the second on a Schmitz RBI single that plated Nelson. Nelson scored for the third time in the game and fifth time in the doubleheader in the third when Braun singled through the left side to bump the score to 7-0.
After allowing a run in the top of the fourth, the Beavers posted another five-spot to open a 12-1 advantage. BSU scored the five runs on four hits. A Hanowski single up the middle with two outs scored two in the frame.
Nelson scored for the seventh time in the two games in the sixth on an error by the left fielder.
The Beavers and Golden Bears are schedule to meet again for an NSIC double dip Saturday beginning at 12 p.m.