BEMIDJI -- The bats of the Bemidji State baseball team came alive like they never had before during the 2019 season on Friday.
The Beavers recorded 10 or more hits in both ends of a doubleheader for the first time this season as they split with Northern State at the BSU baseball field, winning the early game 6-5 before suffering a 10-3 defeat in game two.
“The bats really came together today,” junior Isaiah Grancorvitz said. “We had over 10 hits, so I mean, we’ve got to keep doing that.”
Grancorvitz and Noah Boser smacked a pair of home runs apiece on the day, with both of Boser’s coming in the game-one win.
“Everyone had really quality at-bats,” Boser said. “It was all around a really good team win.”
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This weekend’s three-game series was moved to Bemidji due to poor field conditions in Aberdeen, S.D. NSU is the designated home team for the series.
Parker Borg’s RBI double gave the Beavers (6-27, 5-16 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) a 1-0 second-inning lead before the Wolves (16-20, 11-14 NSIC) tied the game at 1-all in the bottom half.
Solo shots from Boser and Grancorvitz put BSU ahead 3-1 in the third inning.
Northern State got a run back in the bottom of the third before a three-run fourth inning capped by a two-run error gave the Wolves a 5-3 lead.
Boser then belted his second homer of the game to left field in the fifth to bring BSU back to within one run.
“I can’t remember the last time I hit a ball to left field for power,” Boser said. “I never do that. I got a pitch on the outside half and just went with the pitch. The wind took care of the rest.”
Grancorvitz drove in the tying run with his RBI double to left center, knotting it up 5-5. Drake Wawro’s RBI single with two outs brought Grancorvitz home as the winning run in the seven-inning contest.
The bullpen came up big again for the Beavers by throwing 3 2/3 scoreless innings to close out the game with Travis Carruth recording the final four outs. BSU relievers compiled 12 consecutive scoreless innings until the fourth inning of game two.
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“Travis Carruth shut the door on them,” BSU head coach Tim Bellew said. “They got one good swing on him and the rest of them just hit flutter pop ups and we were out of it and got a win.”
Kevin Smith pitched the first 3 1/3 innings and struck out three while allowing five runs on eight hits.
A grand slam in the first inning of game two immediately set NSU off on the right foot.
Bemidji State managed 12 hits off of Wolves starting pitcher Cody Curfman and took advantage of four errors to get runners on base. However, Beaver batters stranded 10 runners in the 10-3, nine-inning win.
Curfman fanned 11 batters in 7 2/3 innings and held BSU to three runs as he earned the win on the mound.
“We gave up a grand slam in the first inning and I think that was probably the story of the game,” Bellew said. “Their kid on the mound had one really good pitch and that was a slider, and he ate us up with it. We still scrapped and did some good stuff, but whenever he needed to throw that slider, he can spot it. It’s a tough pitch to hit. So you’ve got to tip your hat and hopefully come back tomorrow and have a chance to win a series.”
The Beavers will go for the series win in today’s finale at the BSU baseball field. The teams will meet in a nine-inning game at noon.
Bemidji State 6, Northern State 5
BSU 012 010 2 -- 6-13-2
NSU 011 300 0 -- 5-9-1
WP: Carruth (1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K).
LP: Wiesmann (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 0 BB, 1 K).
Northern State 10, Bemidji State 3
BSU 012 000 000 -- 3-12-1
NSU 420 100 30X -- 10-14-4
WP: Curfman (7.2 IP, 12 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 11 K).
LP: Wells (2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 2 BB, 1 K).
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