Softball | 4/28/2013 12:00:00 AM

DENVER, Colo. – The Black Hills State University softball team picked up a game-one victory over Metro State (17-28, 10-23 RMAC) over the weekend as they closed out the year winning one-of-four games versus the Road Runners at Auraria Field on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, 2013.

The Yellow Jackets exploded in game one for an 18 hit, 14-run performance to win, 14-6. 

Their 14 runs scored were the most scored since the opening game of the year in Las Vegas, Nev. versus Notre Dame de Namur (CA) in a 17-13 loss back on February 8 at the Desert Stinger Tournament.

Freshman pitcher, Kaitlin Farrar (Ft. Collins, Colo.), impressed while picking up the win from the mound after pitching a complete game, seven-innings, while giving up 12 hits and only three earned runs while striking out three batters.

Metro St. squeaked out game two, 6-4, and also won game three by a score of 10-2.  Game four was another close one that saw a BHSU comeback fall short to ultimately lose, 6-4.

Junior, Ryan Cook (Rock Springs, Wyo.), led the way offensively for the Yellow Jackets over the weekend as she batted .583 (7-of-12) with four RBIs and four doubles.

Along with Cook's offensive production, three Jacket players hit homeruns in game one, which was a season high.  Senior Alex Huntington's (Divide, Colo.) homerun was her second of the year, as freshmen Katie Campo (Las Vegas, Nev.) and Erica Everson (Rapid City, S.D.) both hit their first of the year.

Head coach, Amy Gurney, spoke to the quality of play for her returners while highlighting the final games of her three graduating seniors.

"Ryan had a phenomenal weekend and it was nice to see Campo and Everson produce.  It was a great way to send off our seniors.  Allie Alverson was very exciting to watch, when she finished the games Sunday she was full of dirt from diving and sliding.  She dove for at least three balls in the outfield and scored a couple times in both games and was a playmaker this weekend," Gurney said.

Alverson, the senior center-fielder out of Grantsville, Utah, finished the weekend batting 3-for-11 and scored five runs.  She ends the season with a team-high, 17-runs scored.

Senior pitcher and outfielder, Alex Huntington, went 6-for-15 (.400) on the weekend with a homerun and five RBIs to cap off an impressive four-year career as she hit her 100th career hit in a Yellow Jacket uniform while showing some defense too.

"Alex Huntington robbed a homerun in leftfield and took out the fence…something she always wants to work on in practice. For her to get the six hits she needed for 100 in her career was unbelievable and a great accomplishment," Gurney said.

The third senior, P Nikki Chacon (Greeley, Colo.), pitched in the final game of Sunday's double-header and went six-innings and gave up nine hits and only three earned runs, to put her team in a great position to win the game.

"Nikki pitched the final game and had a great outing, and only gave up three earned.  Overall, it was a good send off for the seniors and it's exciting to see the fight in our returners," Gurney continued.

Other returning player's totals from the weekend were Everson going 6-for-13, good for a .462 average with one homer and four RBIs.

Everson's weekend puts her ranked 19th-overall in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in batting average, as she led the team with a .375 average over the span of 31 games and 88 at bats.

Freshman, Katie Campo also had a homerun and four RBIs, while batting .455 after going 5-for-11.

After a fantastic weekend at home versus Fort Lewis last weekend that included a .500 batting average (6-for-12) and three RBIs, sophomore Rebecca Green (Rapid City, S.D.), continued her offensive output while going 5-for-14 (.357) with two RBIs and two runs scored versus the Road Runners.

Prior to the last eight games of the season, the Jackets hadn't scored over six runs in a four-game series.  The last two weekends, they scored 13 versus Fort Lewis and 24 versus Metro St., to combine for 37 total runs (4.63 per game average) nearly doubling their season per game average.

"It was our last weekend and didn't mean anything in the standings, but they fought and played hard for the seniors and for Jacket pride. Ryan Cook really stepped up and I see her in a leadership role next season," Gurney said.

"Erica Everson and Brooke Grant had a good weekend as well and Farrar picking up another win was encouraging.  It was a good day to be a freshman on Saturday, and a great day to be a senior on Sunday," Gurney said.

BHSU finishes the season with a record of 5-31 overall and 4-24 in RMAC play, while having 18 games cancelled due to poor weather conditions.

Metro State also honored their senior pitcher, Aubree Maul, who is out for the season because of a diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Saturday's game was the "T.E.A.L" (Tell Every Amazing Lady) game where Metro and BHSU showed their support for her battle while wearing the color teal.  Maul has finished her treatments and is looking to get back on the field next season.

"We all wore teal in honor of her and her inspirational story.  On Sunday, Metro honored their seniors as well as ours, which was very touching," Gurney said.

For final team statistics, CLICK HERE.

For final individual statistics, CLICK HERE.