SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (USF) — It was a tale of two games at Sioux Falls Stadium on Saturday as the Cougars (13-19, 9-9 NSIC) rebounded from a rough opener to earn a split against visiting Bemidji State (3-21, 2-16 NSIC). After surrendering three home runs in a lopsided 11-4 defeat in game one, Sioux Falls regrouped and showcased their resilience with a commanding 10-2 victory in the nightcap.
How It Happened
Game 1: Bemidji State 11, Sioux Falls 4
The Beavers came out swinging, jumping to a 4-0 lead through two innings behind Matt Filippi’s two-RBI double and Dylan Hedley’s two-run homer.
Jaxon Haase briefly gave the Cougars life with a two-RBI double in the third, but Bemidji State unleashed a devastating seven-run barrage in their half of the inning. The onslaught featured a three-run blast from Beau Thoma and solo shot from Zach Evenson, effectively putting the game out of reach at 11-2.
Mitch Iliff added a solo homer in the sixth and William Edwards chipped in an RBI single in the seventh, but the damage was done. Brandon Lind (2-3) earned the win while Logan Anderson (3-5) took the loss for Sioux Falls.
Game 2: Sioux Falls 10, Bemidji State 2
The Cougars flipped the script in the nightcap, striking first on Noah Christenson’s two-RBI double in the opening frame. After Jackson Yeager made it 3-0 with an RBI double in the fifth, Sioux Falls broke things open with a five-run sixth inning…