YANKTON, S.D. (Riverside Field) -- Bemidji State University baseball opened its four-game series against Wayne State College in game one hot but WSC held off BSU in game two to force a split in the weekend series opener at Riverside Field in Yankton, S.D. Senior shortstop Collin Eckman hit his second home run in the past three days to help BSU (12-20, 9-11 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) to an 8-2 win in game one before WSC (16-18, 11-11 NSIC) spoiled a Beavers comeback in game two with a 13-7 win.
Game One
Senior Ben Boser helped BSU take the first lead on Wayne State with a sacrifice fly to bring in sophomore Gunner Olszewski, who led off the third inning with a double down the right field line. Senior Collin Eckman followed in the fourth inning with his second home run in his last three at-bats, a solo shot to center field, after knocking out the walk-off home run three days earlier against University of Minnesota Crookston.
Eckman also contributed to a five-run fifth inning with an RBI single to center field while senior Duane Miller also hit an RBI single and senior Logan Riedel sent out his third home run of the season, a three-run dinger to right field, for a 7-0 BSU lead. Wayne State added one run in each of the fifth and seventh innings but could not match Bemidji State.
Senior pitcher Ryan Fransen (3-1) earned the win after throwing a complete game with one earned run allowed and six strikeouts.
Game Two
Wayne State came out hot in the first innings of game two, putting up five runs on two singles, a double and a two-run home run through the first two frames. Bemidji State erased the deficit in the top of the third inning, though, as the Beavers put up six runs on three hits and two errors, including a two-out RBI single by senior Mason Bellew. The Wildcats followed with a seven-run fifth inning on three hits and two BSU errors.
BSU pitcher Luke Benge (1-1) was credited with the loss after going 3.0 innings with two earned runs allowed and three strikeouts. Beavers pitchers Tommy Geisenhof and Jack Wittwer also threw in relief for a combined 3.0 innings and one earned run allowed on one hit.
Bemidji State and Wayne State close out the four-game series Saturday with a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. The Beavers and Wildcats will move play to Chapman Baseball Complex in Wayne, Neb., depending on weather conditions. If the possibility of rain is present in Wayne, Neb., the final two games of the series will be played in Yankton, S.D. again.
Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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