BEMIDJI, Minn. – MSU Moorhead softball's bats started hot and remained hot across a two-game sweep of Bemidji State on Friday afternoon. The Dragons scored a total of 21 runs (with 25 hits) to conclude the 2024 regular season. 
 
The Dragons would win a high-scoring affair in game one, 13-10, despite a rain delay. MSUM would take game two via run rule, 8-0 in five innings. 
 
The sweep moves MSUM to 32-18 overall, the third-highest win total in program history. MSUM's 32 wins this season are the most since the 2007 season (33) with their 19 NSIC wins being a new program record. 
 
Game One
 
MSUM would not waste much time in game one as Evey Evans continued her string of success at the plate, leading off the game with a double. Evans would eventually be brought around as Mack Gallagher drove her home with a single. Following a Beaver error, Annika Norman would bring home two more runs for MSUM on a double of her own. The hit would score both Gallagher and Eliya Johnson. Through half an inning, MSUM already held a 3-0 lead. 
 
Bemidji State would get a run back in the home half on starter Teagan Clemmons. The Beavers earned their run on a wild pitch from Clemmons. MSUM would keep its foot on the gas thereafter as Ella Holiman would lead off the second with a single. With one out, Evans would step up and continue to smash the ball. The senior would hit her fifth home run of the season, scoring both herself and Holiman to put the Dragons up 5-1. 
 
Azalya Lopez would single with two outs to keep the pressure on Bemidji State in the second. In the ensuing at-bat, Gallagher would crack her fifth home run of the season to extend the Dragon lead to six runs. For Gallagher, it is her 16^th career home run, putting her three shy of tying the all-time program record. Clemmons would hold the Beavers scoreless in the next half inning. Both pitching staffs would settle in across the third and fourth innings as the teams managed a collective two hits across both frames. Evans would come on in relief of Clemmons in the bottom of the fourth. 
 
The Dragon bats would come back to life in the top of the fifth as Johnson began the inning with a single. Johnson would move over to second base on a sacrifice before Holiman drove her home on an RBI single. Evans would drive in Holiman with two outs to extend the MSUM lead to 9-1. Eventually, MSUM would load the bases with two outs before an extended rain delay set in. 
 
With three ducks on the pond out of the rain delay, Lopez would clear the bags with a three-run double, scoring Eliyah McCarthy, Lizzy Davis and Olivia Goderis. Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Dragons led 12-1. Bemidji State would stave off the run rule in the home half as they would get to Evans, plating three runs to make the score 12-4. Reece Dahl would come on in relief of Evans with the Beavers scoring two more runs before the end of the inning. 
 
MSUM continued to have answers on offense as Makinney would single to leadoff the sixth frame. Before the frame's conclusion, Evans would drive Makinney in to stretch the Dragon lead to 13-6. For Evans, it was her fourth RBI of the contest. 
 
Clemmons would re-enter the game in the sixth and retire the Beaver side. While MSUM had an opportunity to score again in the top of the seventh, they would strand two on base without a run to show for it. 
 
Credit goes to the home team, who did not give in despite the seven-run deficit in the final frame. The Beavers would score four runs on five hits (with two MSUM errors) in the bottom of the seventh. However, Clemmons would strand a pair of Beavers on base to end the game on a fly out. The freshman moved to 9-6 overall in the win as the Dragons finished the game with 18 hits. 
 
Game Two
 
The Dragons only continued their onslaught in the second game as Evans would again leadoff the game with a hit. This time a single, Evans would eventually move to third base on a wild pitch. With one out, Johnson would drive Evans and Makinney home on a two-run single to put MSUM up 2-0. Lopez would start in the circle for MSUM, fanning a pair of Beavers in a one-two-three first frame. 
 
More offense ensued for the Dragons in the second inning as Eliyah McCarthy would reach on a one-out two-bagger. Evans would walk in the ensuing at-bat with Makinney loading the bases on a single. The Dragons would plate a run with the bases loaded as Lopez worked out a walk to score McCarthy. Still with one out, Gallagher would step to the plate, looking to make a splash. 
 
The sophomore did just that, mashing a ball over the fence for the coveted grand slam. For Gallagher, the salami gives her 34 RBIs on the year and pulls her to within two home runs of the program record (career). MSUM would lead 7-0 after two innings as Lopez would give up her lone hit of the ballgame in the home half. 
 
In the top of the third, Evans would find base again on a Bemidji State error to give the Dragons more life. Makinney would drive Evans in during the next at-bat with an RBI double. Lopez would strike out two more Beavers in the bottom of the third to keep MSUM's lead at eight runs. 
 
From there, Lopez locked in and set down six consecutive Beavers to clinch the run rule win for MSUM. Lopez has now won 18 games this season, which is one win shy of the single-season school record. The sophomore struck out five and collected her third complete game shutout of the year. 
 
Up Next
 
MSUM (32-18, 19-9 NSIC) will await this weekend's results across the NSIC to find out what seed they will be in the NSIC Softball Tournament. The single elimination tournament is scheduled to begin Wednesday, May 1 in Sioux Falls, S.D.