DATE: May 6, 2007
BSU hits 13 homeruns en route to three game sweep

BEMIDJI, Minn. (BSU Baseball Field) - [Game 1] [Game 2] [Game 3] - The Bemidji State University baseball team finished up its 2007 season today as the Beavers played the University of Minnesota, Crookston Golden Eagles. The two teams finished play from yesterday’s game that was postponed due to rain in the third inning and followed that game with a conference doubleheader. The games were scheduled to be played in Crookston, Minn., but due to poor field conditions at the Crookston baseball complex the games were moved to Bemidji, Minn. BSU used thirteen homeruns to help them garner a three game sweep over the Golden Eagles by scores of 24-7 in Game 1, 26-2 in Game 2, and 16-4 in Game 3.

The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning of Game 1. Kyle Nyquist and Brett Wright were able to score on an error by Bemidji State pitcher Josh Langlie (Thief River Falls, Minn.). In the top of the second inning the Beavers platted twelve runs to take a 12-2 lead. Mike Wagner (Plymouth, N.H.) drove in the Beavers first run of the ball game and then Rich Bohannan (Goodyear, Ariz.) and P.J. McIntee (Randolph, Minn.) drew back-to-back bases loaded walks to give the Beavers a 3-2 lead. Josh Juntunen (Elk River, Minn.), Eric Pilgrim (Park Rapids, Minn.) and Anthony Stoloski (Half Moon Bay, Calif.) each had RBI singles in the inning and Rich Bohannan highlighted the inning for the Beavers with a two RBI double.

BSU added five more runs in the third inning to push it’s lead to 17-2. Nick Noack (Hudson, Wis.) and Josh Silvernagel (Bismarck, N.D.) drove in the runs for the Beavers. Noack hit a three run blast to left field and Silvernagel hit a two run homerun to left field, their first homeruns of the season for the Beavers. The Golden Eagles were able to plate one run in the bottom half of the third and three runs in the fourth inning to cut the Beaver lead to 17-6. Kyle Nyquist drove in a run in each inning with RBI singles and Stephen Funk hit a two RBI double to center field for the Golden Eagles runs. Danny Zielke (Richfield, Minn.) drove in two runs in the fifth inning for the Beavers on a two out single to left field to push the Beavers lead to 19-6 through five innings of play. BSU added five more runs in its final two at bats of the contest. Brian Simon (Owatonna, Minn.) hit his third homerun of the season in the sixth inning and Dan Bennett (Hayfield, Minn.) hit his first homerun of the season in the seventh inning to cap the scoring for the Beavers. The Golden Eagles added one run in the bottom of the seventh, but that was not enough as the Golden Eagles fell 24-7 at the hands of the Beavers.

Senior Josh Langlie (Thief River Falls, Minn.) made his last start on the mound for the Beavers allowing six runs (four earned) on nine hits with one strikeout in 4.0 innings of work. Karl Willers (Slayton, Minn.) made the lone relief appearance surrendering one run (no earned) on one hit with two strikeouts. Langlie garnered his first win of the season improving his record to 1-7.

Laudyn Nelson got the start for the Golden Eagles going 2.1 innings allowing fourteen runs (eleven earned) on eight hits with eight walks and three strikeouts. Nick Wright came in for relief, allowing ten runs (six earned) on ten hits with two strikeouts.

Bemidji State jumped out early in Game 2 putting up twelve runs in the top of the first inning and 23 runs through the first three innings. Josh Juntunen caused half of the damage for the Beavers in the first inning. Juntunen recorded six RBI’s in the first inning, in his first at bat of the inning he hit a two RBI double to left field and in his second at bat of the inning he hit a grand slam homerun over the left field wall for his fourth homerun of the season.

The Beavers scored six runs in the second inning, two of those runs came on Silvernagel’s second homerun of the day to push the Beavers lead to 14-0 and then Stoloski hammered a three run shot to left field for his sixth homer of the season to give the Beavers a 18-0 lead. In the third inning the Beavers added five more runs to give the Beavers a 23-0 lead of the Golden Eagles. Noack tinted the inning with a bases clearing, three RBI triple to center field.

The Beavers added three more runs through the fifth and sixth innings. Pilgrim hit a solo homerun in the fifth inning his second homerun of the season and Jake Kluver (Little Falls, Minn.) hit a two run homerun to left field his first home run of the season to give the Beavers a commanding 26-0 lead. The Golden Eagles broke up the shutout in the seventh inning when Matt Morin scored on a passed ball and Laudyn Nelson picked up a RBI single for UMC’s two runs.

Senior Chad Schwegel (St. Joseph, Minn.) went the distance for Bemidji State in his last start as a Beaver, Schwegel allowed two runs (two earned) on five Golden Eagle hits with eleven strikeouts in 7.0 innings of work. Schwegel improved his record to 2-4 on the season.

Caleb Kreklau lasted just 0.2 innings as he surrendered 12 runs (10 earned) on nine hits, Adam Oehrlein and Lincoln Messner made relief appearances for the Golden Eagles. Oehrlein pitched 5.1 innings allowing 14 runs (nine earned) on twelve hits with seven strikeouts and two walks while Messner pitched 1.0 innings with two strikeouts.

BSU scored early once again in Game 3, Rich Bohannan (Goodyear, Ariz.) led the game off with a double to center field for the Beavers and then scored on a wild pitch from third base. The Golden Eagles answered as they tied the game at 1-1 in the bottom of the first inning on Matt Morin sacrifice fly to center field allowing Brett Wright to score from third base. The Beavers regained the lead in the second inning on Rich Bohannan’s RBI single to center field giving the Beavers a 2-1 lead. The Beaver pushed its lead to 4-1 in the third inning when Juntunen and Pilgrim each scored on a passed ball in the inning. With one swing of the bat the Golden Eagles tied the contest up at 4-4. Matt Morin hit a three run homerun to left field his fourth homerun of the season for the Golden Eagles.

The Beavers platted two runs in the fourth and one run in the sixth inning to take a 7-4 lead, and broke open the game in the seventh inning scoring nine runs to push its lead to 16-4. Wagner, Silvernagel, and Stoloski each hit homeruns in the inning. Wagner hit a grand slam homerun to left field, Silvernagel hit a solo shot to left field and Stoloski hit a three run homerun to center field to highlight the nine run inning for the Beavers. The Golden Eagles went quietly in the seventh inning and the Beavers secured it’s first weekend series sweep of the season with a 16-4 win.

Kevin Morel (Shoreview, Minn.) pitched 6.0 solid innings allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits while striking out eight. Tony Meech (Menahga, Minn.) pitched 1.0 innings of relief for the Beavers allowing no runs on one hit and one strikeout. Morel improved his record to 2-4 on the season for the Beavers.

Beau Martens gave the Golden Eagles 6.0 innings of solid pitching, allowing 11 runs (10 earned) on nine hits with three strikeouts and Lincoln Messner made the lone relief appearance going 1.0 inning surrendering five runs (four earned) on six hits with two strikeouts.

The Beaver offense racked up 66 runs on 54 hits and 13 homeruns in the three games with the Golden Eagles this weekend.

Bemidji State ends it’s season on a season best three game winning streak with a record of 9-41 overall and a 7-22 mark in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

--beavers--

--beavers--