DENVER, Colo. – It was top of the seventh-inning as the Black Hills State University softball team saw themselves trailing, 2-1, with only three-outs to go.  They needed to score to tie the game or else watch Regis University secure the win.

The last-half of the inning began with Yellow Jacket 2B Katie Campo flying out to the left fielder – one out.  P Alex Huntington then smacked her second-double of the game to left field to get herself in scoring position as Regis made a pitching change.  The next batter was DP Jordan McCarthy who made solid contact but flied out to center – two outs. 

With the Yellow Jackets on their last out of the game and a runner in scoring position, 1B Rebecca Green stepped up to bat and tagged a single to left field, scoring Huntington and advancing to second on the throw home – tied up 2-2.  With the Jackets rolling with all the momentum, the next batter LF Brooke Grant stepped into the box and didn't waste anytime as she ripped a shot to center field that dropped in for an RBI-single that scored Green, as the Jackets took the lead 3-2.

Regis then faced their last at bats of the game.  Huntington shutdown the Rangers after retiring 3-of-4 batters and finished off the strongest performance on the mound for BHSU pitches thus far, as she pitched a complete game, seven-innings, while allowing five hits, zero earned runs and had four strikeouts on way to an opening RMAC victory.

Hungtington finished an impressive 2-for-3 behind the plate with two-doubles and one-run scored. 

"Alex was great Saturday, she picked up her first win of the season and hit well in the game," Gurney said.

Gurney was impressed by her teams focus and effort going into the final-inning with the game on the line.

"We came up with clutch hits in the top of the seventh inning.  We also pitched fairly well and limited the walks and made our defense make plays.  Regis is a short-game type team, we focuses on that during our practices during the week and got ourselves ready even without our young infielders," Gurney said.

Green finished 1-of-2 batting with one RBI and one walk, as other RBI's came from the bats of LF Brooke Grant and 3B Erica Everson.

ASU 5 BHSU 4

The second game of the day came against Adams State where they opend up taking the lead, 4-1, after two-innings of play, as five hits scored the four runs which included two doubles.

BHSU got on the board in the second-inning thanks to an ASU error by the right-fielder that allowed 3B Everson to score from second after having singled in the beginning of the inning.  The Yellow Jackets came out hot in the top-half of the third to tie the game, 4-4, after opening up with three straight hits.  SS Ryan Cook was credited for three-RBIs in the inning after reaching on a fielder's choice and an ensuing Regis throwing error allowed her to reach third, scoring LF Grant, C Sara Schmid and RF Nia Shumpert.

With the game tied entering the bottom-half of the fourth -inning, BHSU lost the lead when ASU scored when their base-runner on first stole second and advanced home on an errant throw that sailed into the outfield.  However, the Jackets fought back and made a valient effort to tie the game, as they did earlier in the day vs. Regis.

In the last inning, 1B Jordan McCarthy had a lead-off single as OF Cassie Smith came into pintch run.  DP Green then bunted Smith over to second base, to become the tieing run in scoring position.  The next batter was LF Grant who hit a flair to second base where ASU's second-basemen stretched out to make the tough catch and second out, as she held Smith on second-base.

With C Schmid at bat, an illegal ASU pitch allowed Smith to advance to third-base.  Schmid then hit a screaming line drive back to the second basemen as she again layed-out and made the diving catch to end the game as Schmid and the Yellow Jackets were just inches away from forcing extra innings.

Coach Gurney was very encouraged by her team's pitching and how it has stepped up since the opening tournament down in Las Vegas, along with her continued offensive production.

"Our pitchers threw probably less than five walks in both games, they are looking very promising at this point.  Our clutch hitting was very exciting. It was from the bottom of our lineup as well, so it's really about getting the lineup as a whole to work together now," Gurney said.

The remaining games on Sunday vs. Regis and ASU were both cancelled due to weather.  Therefore, the next games for BHSU come on March 2-3, 2013 as they travel to Colorado Mesa University to take on the Mavericks to two straight double-headers.  Saturday's games vs. CMU will be at 12:00 pm MT and 2:00 pm MT, while Sunday's games will be at 11:00 am MT and 1:00 pm MT.