BASEBALL: Illinois-Springfield sweeps Beavers in season-opening series

SPRINGFIELD, IL – The Bemidji State baseball team ran into a ranked opponent to open its 2023 campaign.

Illinois-Springfield swept the Beavers in a four-game series at home. The 12th-ranked Prairie Stars won three games by 11 or more runs.

After dropping game one 12-0, BSU jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning in game two. Wyatt Hamman singled in a run before Ty Karger brought home two more with a base hit in the next at-bat.

Springfield scored a run in each of the first three innings before Will Oberg walked off the Beavers in the bottom of the seventh inning with an RBI single.

The Prairie Stars cruised to wins of 14-2 and 16-5 in the final two games of the weekend homestand. Zach Moritz laced an RBI single in the seventh inning of game three. Tyrese Allen also drew a bases-loaded walk.

Karger hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the third inning in the fourth game. Jack Munson added an RBI single in the sixth before Derek Dolezal was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the seventh.

Bemidji State heads to Liberty, MO, for another four-game road series starting Friday, Mar. 3, against William Jewell.

Illinois Springfield 12, Bemidji State 0

BSU 000 000 000 – 0-4-1

IS 302 000 07X – 12-10-0

WP: Saner (7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 11 K)

LP: Lavin (4 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 5 BB, 4 K)

Illinois Springfield 4, Bemidji State 3 (F/7)

BSU 300 000 0 – 3-9-1

IS 111 000 1 – 4-11-1

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

LP: Matise (0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K)

Illinois Springfield 14, Bemidji State 2 (F/7)

BSU 000 000 2 – 2-2-4

IS 660 110 X – 14-13-0

WP: Carmack (6 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 15 K)

LP: Bersaw (1.2 IP, 8 H, 12 R, 11 ER, 5 BB, 3 K)

Illinois Springfield 16, Bemidji State 5

BSU 002 002 100 – 5-8-1

IS 502 303 321 – 16-16-0

WP: Roesch (2.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K)

LP: Marx (0.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K)