Softball earns win No. 1 in split on final day at Dragon/Beaver Battle

The Bemidji State University softball team earned its first win of the 2018 season after defeating Minnesota State University, Moorhead, 3-1, on the final day of the Dragon/Beaver Battle in West St. Paul, Minn. The Beavers (1-4, 0-0 NSIC) wrapped up the day by falling to Southwest Minnesota State University 4-3.

MSU-Moorhead 1, Bemidji State 3
MSU-Moorhead began the scoring with a run in the top of the third but the Beavers answered back in the bottom half of the inning when junior Brooke Philips tripled down the line for a run to tie the game. BSU added to its tally in the bottom of the fourth when Olivia Tucker hit an RBI triple to take a 2-1 lead. An RBI single from Makayla Pagel in the fifth gave BSU the 3-1 lead to wrap-up scoring in the game.

Freshman Stephi Dullum pitched six scoreless innings in a complete game effort to earn her first win of the season. The Fargo, N.D. native allowed just one earned run off of five hits and struck out six. Phillips led the Beavers by going 2-for-3 with an RBI at the plate.

SMSU 4, Bemidji State 3
The Mustangs began the scoring with a run in the first innings followed by runs in the fourth, fifth and seventh to take a 4-0 lead. BSU attempted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh, however, after Pagel hit an RBI single and Alexandra drove in two runs with a two-RBI single. After a pitching change by SMSU, the Mustangs were able to get the third and final out to hold on to the 4-3 victory.

Pagel led the Beavers by going 2-for-4 at the plate with an RBI while Ripka went 1-for-3 with two RBI. Olivia Tucker pitched 5.1 innings allowing two earned runs and striking out three while Megan Pehrson came on to pitch 1.2 innings.

Bemidji State won’t play again until Spring Break when the team travels to Clermont, Fla., for a 12-game slate.