GOLDEN, Colo. – The Black Hills State University softball team (0-7, 0-2 RMAC) finally opened up conference play on Friday afternoon, Feb. 28, after poor weather conditions have stood in the way in previous weeks. 

The Yellow Jackets took the field in their first two of four total games on the weekend at Colorado School of Mines (7-6, 3-1 RMAC).  While the games were quite competitive, the Orediggers took both, by a score of 4-1 in game one and a 13-10 victory in game two. 

GAME 1 

The story of the opening game was that of CSM pitcher, Kristen Prudhomme, who went all seven innings and gave up just one earned run on five hits and three walks. 

The Yellow Jackets came into the game as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's 3rd-ranked hitting team, while averaging 9.6 hits per game.  The only run the Jackets managed to produce on the day came in the third-inning when 2B Katie Campo hit an RBI single to center field to knock home RF Cassie Smith. 

BHSU did see six productive innings on the mound by redshirt freshman pitcher, Brittnay Geersen, who gave up four earned runs on 10 hits to go with three strikeouts and just two walks.  Coming into the game, the Jacket's team ERA was 13.07. 

Campo finished the day 2-for-2 from the plate with a double to go along with the RBI single in the third.  Smith went 2-for-4 also with one double to lead the Jackets alongside Campo. 

The team's fifth hit of the contest came by way of the RMAC's leading hitter coming into the day, OF Nia Shumpert, who was batting an average of .582 before finishing 1-for-3 on Friday from the plate.  

CSM centerfielder, Paige Noehring, went 3-for-4 with one RBI led CSM offensively, while 1B Melissa Marshall went 2-for-3 with an RBI. 

GAME 2 

The second game of Friday's doubleheader was a higher scoring affair as the both the Orediggers and Jackets bats went to work from the opening inning all the way through the third inning. 

After the first three innings, CSM had a 10-7 advantage.  After opening up to a quick 5-1 lead in the first, the Jackets came back to score six runs in the second and third innings, while CSM added five more in that span. 

The day's first run came when Cassie Smith stole home to give the Jackets a 1-0 advantage.  However, the RMAC's second-leading hitter behind BHSU's Shumpert, Cassie Ford (.515 avg), had a three-run triple down the right field line to give the Orediggers the lead. 

Ford led CSM with five total RBIs in the game after going 2-for-4 from the plate with three runs scored.  After a Ford double in the bottom of the second, 2B Courtney Derus, hit the games lone homerun to center field.  Derus finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs coming on the homer. 

Meanwhile, the Yellow Jackets were led by both, DP Savanah Eckhardt and CF Brook Grant, who combined for four RBIs and three hits.  Eckhardt had a two RBI double to center in the top of the third inning to respond after Derus' homerun. 

BHSU's third baseman, Alexis Shaffer, went 2-for-4 in the game that included a double, one run scored, and one stolen base in the first inning.  Another player that stepped up offensively was senior SS Ryan Cook, who went 2-for-3 and scored a team-high, three runs to go with one walk.  Other Jackets to score in the game were Smith, C Erica Everson, PR Sara Schmid, and Campo. 

Starting pitcher for BHSU was Kaitlin Farrar, who went 4.1 innings and surrendered just two earned runs on six hits and three strikeouts.  Eckhardt came in to relieve Farrar and gave up eight earned runs on eight hits in 1.2 innings to close out the game.  The winning pitcher for CSM was Angela Eickelman (1-1), who went 4.1 innings and gave up no earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts. 

Tomorrow the Jackets will get back on the field in Golden for another doubleheader versus CSM, with game one set for 11 a.m. and game two scheduled for 1 p.m. 

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