DULUTH -- Home runs proved costly for the Bemidji State softball team Tuesday afternoon as the Beavers dropped a pair of games to Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs won game one 7-4 on a walk-off home run in the eighth inning, and took the finale 4-2.
The doubleheader was played on the turf of Malosky Stadium, normally home to the UMD football team.
Ten of Minnesota Duluth’s 11 runs on the day came via home run with the team connecting for six total.
The Beavers (22-22, 5-15 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) have now lost eight straight games. Three of those defeats have come in extra innings.
BSU trailed 2-1 before Jess Burlingame strode to the plate and crushed a three-run homer to right field, handing the Beavers a 4-2 lead in the top of the seventh. Burlingame broke the program record for most runs scored in a single season when she crossed home plate to record her 39th run of the year.
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However, Lauren Oberle’s two-run blast in the bottom half sent the game to extras.
Taylor Koehnen ended the game in the bottom of the eighth with her three-run, walk-off home run to seal the 7-4 win for the Bulldogs (24-15, 15-5).
Kaidron McClafferty started and pitched 6 1/3 innings for BSU, allowing four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts. Rochelle Koshalek took the loss after conceding Koehnen’s homer.
RBI doubles by Brooke Phillips and Makayla Pagel in the first and third innings, respectively, gave Bemidji State a 2-0 lead in game two.
Back-to-back homers by Jessica Bren and Jordyn Thomas in the third inning gave UMD the lead for good in a 4-2 win.
Stephi Dullum suffered the loss in the circle after throwing all six innings and giving up four runs on six hits with six strikeouts.
The Beavers will look to get back into winning form this weekend with doubleheaders at Concordia-St. Paul and Minnesota State Mankato, April 19-20.
Minnesota Duluth 7, Bemidji State 4
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BSU 100 000 30 -- 4-4-2
UMD 100 100 23 -- 7-8-1
WP: Swint (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 BB, 1 K).
LP: Koshalek (1 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K).
Minnesota Duluth 4, Bemidji State 2
BSU 101 000 0 -- 2-8-0
UMD 003 010 X -- 4-6-1
WP: Swint (7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 3 BB, 4 K).
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LP: St. Dullum (6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 2 BB, 6 K).
