Softball Recap: Bemidji Gets the Win

Bemidji's rock-solid pitcher showed up for the team's third consecutive shutout on Friday. They won by a run and slipped past the Elk River Elks 1-0. This was payback for the Lumberjacks, who suffered an 8-4 loss the last time these two teams met.

Karley LaZella made a splash while hitting and pitching. She looked comfortable on the mound, not allowing a single earned run while striking out seven over seven innings pitched. She has been consistent for a while: she hasn't given up more than two walks in 14 consecutive appearances. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-3 with one triple and one RBI.

Callie Malkowski

Hits (Career)

05/15/26 @ Elk River	3
05/12/26 vs Moorhead	2
05/08/26 @ Sartell-St. Stephen	2
04/21/26 @ Rock Ridge co-op [Eveleth-Gilbert/Virginia]	2
04/15/26 vs Denfeld	2

LaZella wasn't the only one making solid contact as six players wound up with at least one hit. One of them was Callie Malkowski, who went 3-for-4 with one stolen base. Those three hits gave Malkowski a new career-high.

Bemidji was getting hits left and right and finished the game having posted a batting average of .423. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their batting average total in three consecutive games.

Bemidji is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five contests. That's provided a nice bump to their 11-7 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their hitting performance across that stretch, as they averaged 9.2 runs over those games. As for Elk River, their defeat was their fourth straight at home, which dropped their record down to 7-15.

Coming up, Bemidji will head out on the road to challenge Monticello at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. Elk River does not have any more games scheduled as of now.