MARSHALL, Minn. - On a windy home opener at Mustang Field, the Southwest Minnesota State softball team (19-13, 5-1 NSIC) defeated the Bemidji State Beavers (6-23, 0-6 NSIC) in a doubleheader on Saturday, 10-2 (6 inn.) in game one, and 8-1 in game two.
GAME ONE
Ramsey Hopp (7-8) pitched six innings for the Mustangs, allowing two runs and six hits.
Paris Van Dyke led the Mustangs offensively with three hits, and one of four SMSU batters with two or more hits. Hopp led the way with three RBIs.
Hopp kicked off the game in the second inning with an RBI single.
The Mustangs put two on the board in the third inning courtesy of an RBI single from Aliza Acker, and a Beavers error.
BSU scored their only runs of the game in the fourth inning thanks to Aubrey Aukerman and Lauren Beissel cutting the Mustang lead to one entering the bottom of the fourth.
Carley Stych gave the Mustangs some breathing room in the fourth inning with a single up the middle allowing Hopp to score from second base.
SMSU put the hammer down on the Beavers in the fifth inning, scoring five runs, headlined by a 2-run double from Hopp and a little-league home run from Lexi Ingalls.
Emma Humpal delivered the final blow to BSU in the sixth inning, sending Van Dyke home for the 10th run of the game.
Danica Sariff (2-5) started the game for the Beavers, pitching 4 1/3 innings allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits with two strikeouts. Aukerman led BSU offensively with three hits in game one.
GAME TWO
Jordyn Marsh (12-4) pitched five innings for SMSU, allowing one run on four hits, striking out one Beaver in the process. Jordan Bussey pitched the final two innings, allowing two walks and one hit, and striking a career-high six batters.
Riley Kramolisch, Aliza Acker, and Lexi Ingalls each had two hits for the Mustangs, with nine total SMSU batters earning a hit in the game. Kramolisch and Ingalls led the team with 2 RBIs.
Lauren Biessel put the Beavers on the board first in the second inning with a single to left field, the only run BSU would score in the game.
Marsh and Ingalls combined with a pair of RBIs to give the Mustangs the lead in the bottom half of the second inning.
SMSU scored the remaining six runs all in the fourth inning. Ingalls drove in the first run of the inning with a groundout to allow Marsh to score. Kramolisch drove in the next two runs with a base hit to left center.
Paris Van Dyke smacked a double off the wall which drove home Kramolisch from second base to extend SMSU's lead to 6-1.
Aliza Acker would bring home Van Dyke on a single and would score the eighth run herself after Emma Humpal found herself in a rundown from first to second.
BSU's Tibby Hessian (1-3) pitched the first 3 2/3 for the Beavers, allowing six runs (five earned) on eight hits. Alayna DeGraf had two hits for BSU.
The Mustangs finish the weekend at Mustang Field on Sunday against Minnesota Duluth in a doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m.
