Bemidji, Minn- The University of Minnesota Duluth softball team battled for a split against Bemidji State on Tuesday, losing game one 1-0 before rebounding to take game two 4-2 in an eight-inning contest. The Bulldogs now hold a 25-8 overall record and an 11-3 NSIC mark that places them at third in the NSIC ranks behind two 9-1 squads in MSU Moorhead and Winona State.

If you're a fan of premium pitching duels, the first game of Tuesday's doubleheader was one for you. All-told, there were just eight total hits registered between both teams, five for the Beavers and three for the Bulldogs. And it all happened with great discipline, too, as there wasn't a single error recorded in the game. 

As one might expect, this wasn't exactly a hospitable environment for runs to develop in. Unfortunately, it was BSU that was able to find a way to break through regardless of those conditions. They did it early, too, taking the form of a Mariah Stevenson single that brought home Alexa Christenson right at the bottom of the first. That proved to be the lone score between both clubs across seven full innings.

Speaking of seven innings, that's how many Lauren Dixon worked once again in this one. She did all she could at the mound to keep UMD alive, giving up those five hits along with just a single run and walk compared to 12 total strikeouts. For BSU, it was Kyla Damerow that pitched a complete game outing, allowing the three hits along with just one walk. 

Defense was the word of the day, as a large part of the second contest was defined by it, too. A big contributing factor to this was the work of Mady Stariha, who was masterful at the mound for the Bulldogs in this one. The senior's first two innings were 1-2-3 affairs. After giving up a single hit in the bottom of the third, Stariha got right back to her old ways, recording outs on the next three batters. The Superior, Wis. native just couldn't be stopped, rattling off another pair of three up, three down innings to help keep BSU scoreless heading into the sixth. Meanwhile, a Nicole Schmitt single in the top of the fifth had scored Kat Burkhardt, enough to land UMD its first lead of the day at 1-0. It was an advantage bolstered in the top of the sixth by a huge Sidney Zavoral double that brought Kiana Bender home to make it 2-0 Bulldogs.

But in the bottom of the sixth frame, the Beavers were finally able to get on the board. Molly Houts hit a single to record an RBI and trim BSU's deficit down to just a single score. In the bottom of the seventh, down to their last out, the Beavers would finish the deal. Elaina Christiansen made contact on a double of her own to score the game-tying run and force this one into extra innings. 

BSU put itself in a pretty good position to start the top of the eighth- two batters up, two batters down. It was the Bulldogs' turn to have their backs against the wall- they started swinging. It started with a Kendal Jenkins single that kept the frame alive. Next, some fortune, as an error saw Zavoral make it to first herself while also advancing Jenkins all the way to third. Up to the plate stepped Burkhardt. The junior had been UMD's most reliable bat throughout game two, approaching the dish in this moment having gone 2-3 in the contest. Ol' reliable struck again- and in a big way. A ginormous double from Burkhardt brought in both Jenkins and Zavoral to suddenly double the Bulldogs' score and situate them with a 4-2 advantage. 

Up to the mound stepped Allyssa Williams in the bottom of the eighth, with hopes of avoiding the top of the ninth. The effort went about as well as it ever could have for the freshman- groundout, strikeout, line out. Just like that, UMD had taken just its second extra frames contest of the year 4-2. 

The two stars for the Bulldogs throughout game two have already been mentioned, but they deserve another round of applause. Stariha was sensational through six innings, allowing just three hits, one run and one walk. UMD's offensive hero was Burkhardt, who went 3-4 from the plate while adding three RBIs and a run. 

ANSWERS FROM ANDERSON
A loss is a loss, of course. But it's one thing to lose the second of two games in a day- it's another to come up short in game one and have another contest right in front of you immediately afterwards.

Different circumstances, but not some kind of death sentence. While it's easy to imagine the backend of the doubleheader to be a difficult ask coming off of a defeat, that's not a set-in-stone script. Instead, it's a matter of mindset. The words of UMD head coach Lynn Anderson confirm this.

"Nobody enjoys failure, but failure is a great teacher if you allow it to be one," Anderson said. "We chose to put forth a better seven innings together in game two by using the first game as fuel." 

The eventual results of that second contest ended up serving as a bit more confirmation, too. 

And what a game it proved to be, one that shifted from pure defensive spectacle to a back-and-forth offensive affair rather quickly. Even in the tightest of battles, though, one team has to prevail. It's a mark of endurance, of an ability to respond. To Anderson, it's a sign of much, much more.

"That timespan from the 7th to the 8th inning had a lot happen," Anderson said. "We had the lead, they tied it, but then we found a way to put two more runs up right away and regain the lead immediately in the top of the 8th, closing the door in the bottom half. That's fight right there. That's heart. That's unrelenting drive. That's Bulldog mentality. That moment was not too big for us and all of that is why we believe in what this team can do together moving forward. We believe in this team and we believe we are capable of championship-level success."

For as important as it is for any team with title aspirations to produce timely hits, that's not the only thing on the recipe sheet- strong pitching is also a must.

As it turns out, the Bulldog bullpen is no joke. Its cumulative ERA of 1.43 is fifth in the entire country, for example. Leading that statistic at an individual level is a player that put on a masterclass of a performance in game two to help guide UMD to victory. We'll talk about her in a second, but it's good to remember that she is a piece of what has been a vibrant and durable puzzle for the Bulldogs so far this season. Who better to provide that kind of message than Anderson.

"First, a quick shoutout to Lauren Dixon with another tremendous performance in game one, and overall, a shoutout to our entire pitching staff," Anderson said. "They compliment each other so well, they each bring something special, and are all a part of our team's success."

"Special" is certainly a fair term to describe Stariha's outing on Tuesday. Really, it'd be apt to use it as an adjective for her season at-large so far. 

It's been a breakout campaign for the long-tenured Bulldog senior, one that's already seen her shatter her precious season-highs for starts with 12 and overall appearances with 19. And while there are still plenty of games to be played, Stariha's current cumulative ERA of 1.09 is also by far a career touchstone (and the best on the team). Why stop there? Ask Anderson, and you can apply that "special" term to Stariha as a person, too.

"...Absolutely, Mady has quietly had her own high-level performances this year too that deserves recognition," Anderson said. "And she's earned it. She's put the work in, the training, the mindset-all of it. And it's showing on the field. Plus she's a leader for us in so many ways. She's an energy giver, she keeps things light, she's hilarious-I love seeing that personality come out, and she's a wonderful teammate and competes for her teammates."