Wayne State sweeps Bemidji State in late-night action at Metrodome
MINNEAPOLIS – The Bemidji State baseball team fell by identical 3-2 scores in a nonconference doubleheader against Wayne State Thursday at the Metrodome.
The doubleheader didn’t begin until 9:30 p.m. and ended at around 1 a.m. Saturday morning.
In game one, the Wildcats (3-3) took the first lead in the bottom of the second with a sacrifice groundout that scored CJ Nolen.
BSU (1-5) answered in the third. A Matt Ellinghuysen double started a chain reaction that saw the Beavers manufacture two runs with wild pitches, bunts and sacrifice groundouts.
WSC evened the score in the fourth and went ahead with a single run in the bottom of the sixth.
The Beavers couldn’t do anything else to solve Wildcats pitcher Tad Johansen, who gave up just four hits in seven innings of work to get the win.
Phil Bray started for the Beavers and allowed just three runs – all earned – on four hits in 5 1/3 innings.
BSU’s Ellinghuysen and WSC’s Nolen had the only extra-base hits for either team.
BSU left 10 runners on base in game two, which went nine innings and started at approximately 11:15 p.m.
The Wildcats struck first again in game two with single runs in the second and third innings to go up 2-0.
However, the Beavers answered to tie the game in the fifth and sixth innings.
Lewis Baumann homered in the fifth, and in the sixth Jaryd Marks doubled and scored on an error to knot it up at 2-2.
The game then went to extra innings and the Wildcats scored the winning run in the top of the ninth when Blake Bisson singled then advanced to third via a throwing error before coming home on a wild pitch.
Logan Kalis suffered the loss for BSU after hurling 1 2/3 innings and allowing the one unearned run on one hit with three strikeouts. Jack Hegarty threw 2 1/3 frames and allowed zero runs on three hits with one strikeout. Ryan Anderson started and went 5 innings.
Riley Hirsch, Kalis and Baumann each recorded two hits, as the Beavers posted nine in the game.
Trevor Reeves got the win for the Wildcats in relief of starter Eric Schweiger. Reeves went 3 2/3 innings and gave up no runs on three hits.
The Beavers continue Metrodome play Feb. 26 with a nonconference doubleheader against Minnesota State Mankato at 5 p.m.
