Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
ABERDEEN, S.D. – The Northern State University Wolves took advantage of five Bemidji State errors and seven hits of their own to pull out an eighth-inning victory on Wednesday, salvaging a Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference split with the visiting Beavers. BSU held the Wolves to just one hit and four base runners in the opener to take a 4-0 victory, but allowed the Wolves plenty of extra chances in the night-cap. NSU capitalized with a 5-4 victory in the bottom of the eighth.
With the win, the Wolves move to 6-22 overall and 2-10 in NSIC play, while the Beavers slipped to 7-22 on the season and a matching 2-10 mark in league action.
Game 1 belonged almost entirely to BSU starter Courtney Anderson, who tossed a complete-game shutout for the Beavers, who were playing their fifth doubleheader in as many days. Anderson allowed just a first-inning single to NSU sophomore Brittany Huback, but settled in for the duration to earn the victory, working around three defensive miscues in the process.
Her counterpart, NSU sophomore Kelli Bornander, also gave up a first-inning burst in the form of a Crystal Bowen homer down the left field line that plated Jamie Ford, who had singled and stolen second. Bowen worked the count full before slicing the 3-2 pitch down the line, but kept it fare and over the fence to put the Beavers up 2-0.
Bornander, however, also settled into a solid routine after that inning, allowing just four more hits while striking out eight in five and two-thirds innings of work. Those four hits came in the top of the sixth inning, as the Beavers put together a 1-out rally to score a pair of insurance runs. The final hit came on a come-backer up the middle that deflected off Bornander's glove and trickled to second baseman Lindsey Cegla, who had no play at either home or first base, allowing the final run to score.
Junior Kelley Suggs came on in relief at that point and picked up a strike-out to end the inning.
Anderson, however, sat the Wolves down in order in the bottom half of both the sixth and seventh innings, ending any hope of a rally and preserving the win.
Game 2 started with a somewhat déjà vu moment for the Beavers. With one out, Ford legged out an infield single then came around to score on another home run to left field, this time off the bat of freshman Stephanie Rossman, giving BSU the early 2-0 lead.
Not about to let the trend continue, the Wolves snapped a 14-inning scoreless streak in the bottom of the second inning. Sophomore Cat Zimmerman doubled to right center for the first of her two hits in the game. Zimmerman moved up to third on Huback's fly-out to deep center and scored on freshman Stacie Wieseler's RBI line drive that dropped in front of the left fielder for a single.
The Wolves added three more runs in a wild fourth inning that included three hits, an error, and a steal of home by freshman Natasha Neu. Zimmerman again led off the inning with a single to the right side. Huback then laid down a sacrifice bunt and was called safe at first after the Beavers' second baseman mishandled the throw to first.
Both players moved up on a wild pitch before Wieseler came through with her second RBI single of the day to plate Zimmerman and tie things up. Neu replaced Wieseler at first base and promptly stole second base. A second wild pitch – this time on a ball four call – allowed Huback to score and put runners on the corners with no one out.
The Wolves then executed the steal of home, as freshman Brittany Lenander, who had drawn the walk on the previous play, intentionally got hung up between first and second. In the process of the run-down, the Beavers lost track of Neu at third, allowing the speedy freshman to swipe home and give the Wolves the 4-2 lead.
BSU, however, would not go down quietly. The Beavers took a page from the Wolves' play book, using a 1-out error and back-to-back doubles from Chelsea Cardinal and Crystal Bowen to tie things back up at 4-4.
That would be as much as the Beavers would get, as Suggs – who had left the game after three innings of work – returned to the mound to shut the Beavers down for good.
The NSU offense rewarded the effort in the bottom of the eighth. After a lead-off walk from junior Lindsey Cegla, Huback again laid down a sacrifice bunt and reached safely on a wild throw from the Beaver defense. Huback moved to second on that error, while Cegla also claimed an extra base on the miscue. Cegla then scored two pitches later on BSU's second error of the inning and fifth of the game, giving the Wolves the 5-4 victory.
Suggs picked up her first win of the season with the split-duty appearance. The junior worked five and two-thirds total innings for the victory. Sophomore Rachel South went two and a third innings in relief, allowing just one earned run and picking up a pair of strikeouts.
The Wolves remain at home this weekend to face Augustana and Wayne State in a pair of NSIC doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Vikings are ranked 14th in the latest NFCA Top 25, while Wayne State is receiving votes in the same poll. First pitch is slated for noon both days.
