SOFTBALL: Bemidji State splits with Upper Iowa, Ashley Herold homers twice
Apr. 8—FAYETTE, Iowa. — The Bemidji State softball team split its doubleheader with Upper Iowa, winning the first game 5-1 then falling 6-4 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play in Fayette, Iowa, on Saturday afternoon.
Ashley Herold led the Beavers at the plate, hitting her first two home runs of the season and batting in three runs on the day.
The Beavers (13-15, 2-4 NSIC) started the scoring in the first inning in the opener, with Mariah Stevenson plating Alexa Christenson on a fielder's choice. Two innings later, Herold extended the BSU lead with a two-run blast to left field for her first home run of the season.
Alexa Christenson padded the lead with a two-out RBI double to center field to put Bemidji State up 4-0 in the fourth. Molly Houts then went deep for the second time this season to give the Beavers a strong 5-0 lead.
Upper Iowa got on the board in the bottom of the sixth, with Laila Pelds recording an RBI single for the final score of the game at 5-1.
Kyla Damerow (4-8) earned her fourth win of the season, almost pitching a complete-game shutout. Damerow pitched a perfect 4.1 innings to start the game, giving up her first hit in the bottom of the fifth. She gave up only five hits, one earned run and one walk in a full seven innings of work.
In the second game, Bemidji State got itself on the board in the first inning, as Houts reached base on a two-out single and advanced third on two wild pitches before scoring the first run on a Stevenson single.
After two scoreless innings, the Beavers added one more run on the board, with Emmarie Yeager hitting her first home run of the season. The Peacocks (13-16, 5-6 NSIC) responded in the bottom of the fourth, adding four runs on four singles to take a 4-2 advantage.
In the fifth, BSU's Kora Martin hit a sacrifice fly to center field to cut the lead to one. Herold brought the game level with her second home run of the day, tying the score at 4-4 in the sixth inning.
Rae VanMilligan hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the sixth to put Upper Iowa up 6-4. BSU threatened in its last at-bat in the seventh with two players reaching base via hit-by-pitch, but a pop out and fly out ended the game.
Stella Dolan started game two and worked 3.2 innings before four runs were scored in the fourth inning.
The Beavers return to the diamond at noon on Tuesday, April 11, for their home opener against Minnesota Duluth, a doubleheader at Chet Anderson Stadium.
Bemidji State 5, Upper Iowa 1
BSU 102 110 0 — 5-9-0
UIU 000 001 0 — 1-5-0
WP: Damerow (CG, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K)
LP: McGonigle (CG, 7 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K)
Upper Iowa 6, Bemidji State 4
BSU 100 111 0 — 4-6-0
UIU 000 402 X — 6-9-1
WP: Vetter (CG, 7 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K)
LP: Kessel (1.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K)
