MANKATO -- The Bemidji State softball team couldn’t solve Minnesota State on Saturday, dropping a doubleheader by 13-0 and 11-4 scores in Mankato.
The Beavers (22-26, 5-19 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) mustered just one hit in the opener, which came off Brooke Phillips’ bat as a fourth-inning single.
The Mavericks (29-17, 14-10 NSIC) didn’t share the same struggles, however, as they put up a baker’s dozen in the run column. Two came in the first inning, four more followed in the third and a grand slam in the fourth punctuated a seven-run frame in the five-inning, shutout win.
BSU’s offense picked up early in game two, but Minnesota State did its part to keep control of the lead.
To lead off the game, Jess Burlingame tripled and scored on a throwing error, but MSU came back with two runs in the bottom half of the first. Bemidji State answered when Sami Trana and Olivia Tucker produced RBIs in the second inning, but the Mavericks posted three runs apiece in the third and fourth frames.
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Burlingame added a solo home run in the fifth, but Minnesota State tallied another trio in the sixth inning for the 11-4 win.
The Beavers have now lost 12 straight games, which sinks them six games back of the 10th and final NSIC Tournament spot with six games remaining.
Next up for BSU is a doubleheader at U-Mary on Wednesday, April 24, starting at noon in Bismarck, N.D.
Minnesota State 13, Bemidji State 0
BSU 000 00 -- 0-1-1
MSU 204 7X -- 13-13-0
WP: Ward (4 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K)
LP: St. Dullum (3 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 0 BB, 0 K)
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Minnesota State 11, Bemidji State 4
BSU 120 010 0 -- 4-5-4
MSU 203 303 X -- 11-14-1
WP: Schoper (6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 3 K)
LP: McClafferty (5.2 IP, 14 H, 11 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 2 K)
