BASEBALL: Bemidji State notches first win of the season, goes 1-6 in Tucson

TUCSON, Ariz. – The Bemidji State baseball team finally got in the win column at the Tucson Invitational Games last week in Tucson, Ariz.

The Beavers went 1-6 on the road trip, picking up an 8-6 victory over Malone on Friday. A five-run second inning was the crooked number BSU needed to get over the hump for the first time this season.

Trailing 1-0 after the top of the first inning, Jacob Marx tied the game for Bemidji State (1-14) with an RBI double. Zach Listiak gave the Beavers their first lead two at-bats later with an RBI single.

Malone (9-4) tied the game in the top of the second inning, then BSU broke things open with the bats. James Wirt made it 4-2 with an RBI single, then Marx added another with his second run-scoring hit. Listiak and Ty Karger also drove in runs with singles to put Bemidji State ahead 7-2.

Karger added an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth inning with a sacrifice fly. Malone scored four unanswered runs in the sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t close in on Bemidji State’s lead any further.

Logan Barrick earned the win on the mound. He allowed just three earned runs on nine hits. He also struck out three batters. Christian Lindow earned a seven-out save. He struck out four batters and allowed two hits over the final three innings.

The rest of the week wasn’t as successful as Friday was for the Beavers. On Tuesday, Bemidji State lost to Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference adversary Southwest Minnesota State (7-2) 10-2. Seth Goplen homered in the loss.

BSU lost both games in a doubleheader against Dakota Wesleyan (3-7) on Wednesday. The Tigers held on to win 10-8 in the second game after rolling to a 10-3 victory in the first. Listiak hit a two-run home run to highlight BSU’s day at the plate.

Bemidji State also lost a pair of games against Walsh (3-9) on Thursday. The Cavaliers handed the Beavers defeats of 11-1 and 7-2, each in seven innings. Jack Munson had just one of three extra-base hits with a solo home run in the second leg of the doubleheader.

BSU ended its Arizona trip with an 18-16 loss against Dickinson State (N.D). The Blue Hawks (8-9) erased a 14-0 deficit, scoring 15 consecutive runs after the fourth inning to pick up the win. Marx hit a three-run home run in the top of the second inning. Simon Carter doubled and tripled in a 3-for-5 day at the plate.

The Beavers start NSIC play at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 18, with a doubleheader at Concordia-St. Paul.

Southwest Minnesota State 10, Bemidji State 2

SMSU 300 421 400 – 10-14-1

BSU 010 000 001 – 2-6-3

WP: Endres (6.1 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

LP: Marx (4.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 5 BB, 6 K)

Dakota Wesleyan 10, Bemidji State 3 (F/7)

DW 110 006 2 – 10-7-0

BSU 020 001 0 – 3-9-1

WP: Martinez (6 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

LP: Jereko (2.1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K)

Dakota Wesleyan 10, Bemidji State 8 (F/7)

BSU 101 204 0 – 8-7-0

DW 201 070 X – 10-9-2

WP: Riddle (1.2 IP, 4 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 0 K)

LP: Pierce (5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

SV: Waddle (1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)

Walsh 11, Bemidji State 1 (F/7)

BSU 000 000 1 – 1-5-4

WU 040 151 X – 11-11-0

WP: Soltis (CG, 7.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

LP: Lavin (4.0 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 5 K)

Walsh 7, Bemidji State 2 (F/7)

WU 140 100 1 – 7-13-0

BSU 000 200 0 – 2-6-1

WP: Beyerle (5 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K)

LP: Biehn (5 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 0 BB, 5 K)

Bemidji State 8, Malone 6

MAL 110 001 300 – 6-11-3

BSU 250 100 00X – 8-12-3

WP: Barrick (6.2 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)

LP: Jackson (6.1 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 6 ER, 1 BB, 6 K)

SV: Lindow (2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 4 K)

Dickinson State 18, Bemidji State 16

BSU 095 010 001 – 16-15-3

DSU 003 035 34X – 18-20-4

WP: Nieto (1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

LP: Gengler (1.1 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 3 K)

SV: Lundbeck (1.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)