BEMIDJI -- The Bemidji State baseball team owned early leads in both games of Friday’s doubleheader but was unable to make them last, falling 6-4 and 8-5 to Minnesota Crookston at the BSU baseball field.
In the early afternoon game, Kade Nelson singled up the middle on the first of his team-leading five hits on the day as Wyatt White came around to score on an error for a 1-0 lead. Nelson connected on an RBI single two innings later to extend the lead to 2-0 for the home team.
However, Brock Reller belted a three-run homer in the top of the fifth to give the Golden Eagles (23-18, 16-11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) a 3-2 lead. They’d add two more in the sixth and one in the seventh to pull ahead 6-2.
With the Beavers (6-32, 5-21 NSIC) down to their final three outs, Drake Wawro drew a bases-loaded walk and Nelson scored on a double play to bring the score to 6-4. But the rally ended with two outs as the seven-inning game went to UMC.
Nelson finished 3-for-4 at the plate with a team-high two RBIs.
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Jesse Palafox took the loss on the mound despite fanning seven batters in his five-inning outing.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning of game two, BSU quickly regained a 2-1 lead by tallying a run each in the first and second innings.
Jonathan Lund knotted the game back up at 2-all in the third, and the Eagles hung a five on the scoreboard in the fourth to take a commanding 7-2 lead.
The Beavers got runs back in each of the fifth, sixth and eighth innings but suffered an 8-5 loss.
Blake Huntley paced BSU by going 2-for-4 with three runs scored. Nelson went 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Starting pitcher Jackson Back was handed the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in three-plus innings.
Bemidji State will return to the BSU baseball field for its final home date of the season Saturday. The Beavers will again meet Minnesota Crookston in a noon doubleheader. The first game will last nine innings, while the second will be seven innings and count as a nonconference contest.
BSU will then close out the regular season next week at Minot State and Minnesota Duluth.
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Minnesota Crookston 6, Bemidji State 4
UMC 000 032 1 -- 6-11-1
BSU 101 000 2 -- 4-10-1
WP: Rustad (5.1 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 3 K).
LP: Palafox (5 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 BB, 7 K).
Minnesota Crookston 8, Bemidji State 5
UMC 101 500 010 -- 8-15-3
BSU 110 011 010 -- 5-10-0
WP: Grover (6 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 3 K).
LP: Back (3+ IP, 7 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K).
SV: Grose (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K).
