May 7, 2005

ST, PAUL, Minn. - [CU box][NSU box]Shut out in both of its 2005 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Softball Tournament games, the Bemidji State University softball season comes to an end after being eliminated from the double elimination conference tournament.

In the event's opening game, the No. 7 Beavers drew the No. 2 seed and host Concordia University-St. Paul. After remaining knotted at zero for the first two innings, the Golden Bears took the lead with a three run home half of the third. CU would plate five runs in the fourth to claim the game by the eight-run rule.

The Beavers had their best opportunity to get on the board in their first at bat.

Senior All-NSIC selection MerriAnne Werder (Browerville, Minn.) led off the top of the first by ripping a double onto the center field grass. Katie Gardas (Jr., Arden Hills, Minn.) advanced Werder to third on a sacrifice hit to the left side. But the Beavers were not able to plate the run as the CU pitcher would buckle down to record a Jamie Docken (Fr., Owatonna, Minn.) strikeout and forced Mandy Bambrough (Toronto, Ontario) to ground out to end the inning.

The Golden Bears tapped the BSU pitcher Andrea Shue (Jr., Roosevelt, Minn.) for three runs on five hits in the bottom of the third.

CU opened the inning with back-to-back extra-base hits by Tracie Enzler and Jennifer Pozzani. Both would score as all nine Bears batted in the inning before BSU was able to stop the bleeding.

After retiring the Beavers in order in the top of the fourth, CU sent 11 batters to the plate in the inning accumulating five runs on five timely hits. Enzler and Pozzani again got the rally started as Enzler walked and was advance to second on a Pozzani single. She would score on a Shannon Miller single to left field. After a successful double steal, Elizabeth Plante collected an RBI flying out to score Pozzani from third. Amanda Yurek followed with a single to center to score Miller. After the Golden Bears loaded the bases, Kristen Linell knocked in a run with a base hit and Enzler walked in a run.

Cu's Mandy Turba came in to pitch in the top of the fifth and would hold BSU hitless for the third consecutive inning to close out the win as the eight-run rule would come into play, 8-0.

Miller led the Golden Bear hit parade going 3-for-3 with a run scored and an RBI. Allison Patch and Turba combined forces to hold the Beavers to just two hits as Paitich was credited with her 13th victory of the season facing just one batter over the minimum in four innings of work.

Shue (4-18) took the loss for the Beavers pitching the entire five innings allowing eight earned runs and collecting a pair of strikeouts along the way.

Knocked out of the winners bracket by Concordia-St. Paul, the Beavers faced No. 6 Northern State University in the play-back bracket at 2:00 p.m.

Junior Aliana Ryberg started the game in the pitching circle for the Beavers. She would last just one-third of an inning as she struggled to find the strike-zone walking three and hitting a player with a pitch to spot the Wolves an early 1-0 lead. That was all the NSU would need as Lisa Koehler faced just 16 batters in the five-inning contest, walking one and recording four strikeouts as the Beavers failed to post a hit in the game.

With the bases loaded and one out, Shue was called on to relieve the Hudson, Wis. native.

Shue would give up an RBI single to Jenna Drey as two runs would score as a result of an error by the BSU left fielder. After another fielding error by the Beavers' defense allowed Tara Schumacher to score from third, the Wolves would get their fourth run of the inning on a past ball.

NSU would add five runs to its lead in the bottom of the second after sitting the Beavers down in order in the top half of the inning.

Emily Howlett followed back-to-back singles by Angie Olson and Caitlin Hodges with a bases-clearing double to the right-center field gap. Koehler singled to score Howlett. She would later score after advancing to third on a pop-up. Natalie Kieff capped off the inning with an RBI single to center field.

After being retired in order in the bottom of the third, the Wolves capitalized on a BSU fielding error to extend their lead to 12-0 before the end of the fourth.

Koehler led the inning off by reaching on an error by the BSU shortstop. She was pushed to second when Schumacher singled to the left side. Drey would clear the bases with one swing of the bat as she put a Shue pitch over the right-center field fence for her third home run of the season.

Northern State took the game 12-0 in the fifth inning due to the eight-run rule, ending the Beavers season at 6-33; 3-11. The Wolves would move on to play and be defeated by No. 4 Wayne State College, 4-2, in the double elimination tournament.

In addition to Koehler's pitching gem, the Wolves were led offensively by Drey who collected two hits, including a three-run homer, in three plate appearances score a run and knocked in four RBIs.

Ryberg (2-12) took the loss for BSU completing just one-third of an inning while being credited for allowing four runs (three earned).

The Beavers' 2005 season comes to an end with an overall record of 6-33 while the team was 3-11 in NSIC competition. Both win totals triple the team's victory output from the 2004 season.

-bsu-