BASEBALL: Bemidji swept in split-site doubleheader, both defeats by 1 run

The Bemidji High School baseball team had a frustrating trip down south on Monday.

Facing two teams from the Metro area, the Lumberjacks lost 6-5 and 5-4 decisions to Elk River and Princeton, respectively, a couple of hours apart.

Against Elk River, BHS (10-4) took an early lead but was not able to sustain its offensive attack. The Jacks scored first on Will Zellmann’s sacrifice fly in the first inning, then gave themselves a 4-1 cushion with three runs in the second inning. Hunter Brodina’s two-run double and Cam Justice’s RBI single scored Bemidji’s runs in that frame.

The Lumberjacks led 5-1 after three innings thanks to Ethan Biehn’s RBI single. But the Elks (11-4) got those runs back in innings four through six, tying the game 5-5. And when the game extended to extra innings, it was Elk River that ended it, as Carter Galante’s walk-off walk gave the Elks victory in the bottom of the eighth.

Peyton Neadeau took the loss for BHS, tossing two innings with one hit and one unearned run allowed.

The Jacks took another early lead against Princeton, adding runs in the first inning on an error and Dan Clusiau sac fly. They added another run on an error in the fourth, going up 3-0.

The Tigers (11-2) clawed back with a big fifth inning, plating five runs to take the lead by two. Bemidji added one run on Ty Lundeen’s single in the seventh to make it 5-4, but Ben Corradi and Clusiau were unable to plate Justice from third in their ensuing at-bats.

Gavin Kapaun took the loss for BHS, conceding five unearned runs in 4 2/3 innings pitched with three hits allowed.

After winning ten games in a row to turn their record from 0-1 to 10-1, the Jacks have now lost three consecutive contests.

The Lumberjacks return to the diamond against Maple Grove and Osseo for another southern multisite road trip starting at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 19, in Maple Grove.

Elk River 6, Bemidji 5 (F/8)

BHS 131 000 00 – 5-12-4

ER 100 112 01 – 6-4-0

WP: Stockman (2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 3 K)

LP: Neadeau (2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 1 K)

Princeton 5, Bemidji 4

BHS 200 100 1 – 4-8-3

PRN 000 050 X – 5-4-4

WP: Peterson (CG, 7 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K)

LP: Kapaun (4.2 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 3 K)