BASEBALL: Crooked numbers clinch Bemidji State’s first sweep of 2021

BEMIDJI -- For the first time all season, the Bemidji State baseball team is on a winning streak.

The Beavers won both legs of Wednesday’s doubleheader against U-Mary, winning 6-4 in the opener and 13-8 in the finale at the BSU baseball field.

The sweep marks the first time Bemidji State has picked up back-to-back wins this year and stands as the program’s first instance since last year’s season opener on Feb. 21, 2020. The last time the Beavers won consecutive conference games was April 10, 2019, during a doubleheader sweep of Upper Iowa.

In game one on Wednesday, BSU (7-25, 6-21 NSIC) got a big boost in the first inning. Noah Boser erased an early 1-0 deficit with a three-run home run that cleared the wall in left. Tom Keohen later singled in a run for a 4-1 lead through one.

Jack Munson and Carter Simon tallied RBI singles in the fourth inning to extend the lead to 6-2. And although the Marauders (15-15, 12-11 NSIC) halved the deficit on a two-run shot in the seventh, Logan Barrick retired the very next batter to end the game in Bemidji State’s favor.

Barrick tossed a complete game and allowed four runs off six hits while striking out one.

In game two, more crooked numbers helped the Beaver cause.

BSU poured in five runs in the bottom of the second -- scoring on a single, two bases-loaded walks, a catcher’s interference and an error -- to go up 5-2.

Although U-Mary regained a 7-5 lead by the middle of the fifth, Bemidji State cranked out seven more runs in the bottom of the fifth for a 12-7 lead. Munson produced the game-tying RBI single, and then Derek Dolezal, Simon and Sam Kalberer combined for four RBIs on their two-out singles.

Simon tacked on an insurance run in the eighth with another RBI single, and that was more than enough in the 13-8 final.

Hunter Haggenmiller earned the win from the mound, tossing 1 2/3 innings in relief and allowing one run (zero earned) on two hits.

One more win would give the Beavers their longest winning streak since the team won six straight between April and May 2017. BSU will try to accomplish the feat at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, as the start of a doubleheader at Minnesota Crookston.

Bemidji State 6, U-Mary 4

U-M 100 100 2 -- 4-6-0

BSU 400 200 X -- 6-10-1

WP: Barrick (CG, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)

LP: Draheim (4 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)

Bemidji State 13, U-Mary 8

U-M 113 110 010 -- 8-13-3

BSU 050 070 01X -- 13-12-5

WP: Haggenmiller (1.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

LP: Shoen (4.2 IP, 7 H, 10 R, 8 ER, 4 BB, 5 K)

1/5: Bemidji State freshman Tom Keohen (13) hits an RBI single in the first inning against the University of Mary on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the BSU baseball field. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

2/5: Bemidji State freshman Jack Munson (9) throws to first in the sixth inning against the University of Mary on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the BSU baseball field. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

3/5: Bemidji State senior Isaiah Grancorvitz (8) steals second in a game against the University of Mary on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the BSU baseball field. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

4/5: Bemidji State freshman Carter Simon (18) celebrates after Noah Boser hit a three-run home run in the first inning against the University of Mary on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the BSU baseball field. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)

5/5: Bemidji State catcher Isaiah Grancorvitz (8) tags the University of Mary’s Braeton Wixo (11) out in the third inning on Wednesday, April 28, 2021, at the BSU baseball field. (Jillian Gandsey / Bemidji Pioneer)