SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University softball team hit the field on Monday afternoon to finish off the weekend of games versus Fort Lewis College and came away with their first victory of the season in game two of the doubleheader. 

While the Skyhawks took the weekend after winning the opening game on Sunday by a score of 6-2, the Jackets came back strong to defeat FLC, 5-4, in game two to push them to 1-10 overall on the season and 1-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. 

GAME 1 

FLC pitcher, Victoria Johnson, was the story yet again for her Skyhawks team as she pitched a complete game in game one versus the Jackets to go all seven innings and give up just two earned runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and one walk.  

FLC got on the board in the opening innings thanks to a Chelsea Rodriguez solo homerun and a Myndee Thompson RBI single.  After the Jackets failed to score over the next two innings, in the third, Thompson had a two run homerun for FLC to extend their lead to 4-0. 

Finally in the bottom of the fifth inning, the Yellow Jackets got on the board thanks to a RF Cassie Smith RBI single that knocked home C Sara Schmid.  As FLC led 4-1 entering the sixth, Thompson yet again got to work offensively to hit a double that scored two more to give her five total RBIs on the day after going 3-of-4 from the plate. 

BHSU centerfielder, Nia Shumpert, again kept her offensive success going as she had an RBI triple that hit home LF Brooke Grant.  Smith finished the game 2-of-4 as Shumpert went 1-of-3 as the leaders offensively for the Jackets along with Grant who went 3-for-3 from the plate with the one run scored. 

BHSU sophomore, Kaitlin Farrar, also pitched a complete game for the Jackets after surrendering six earned runs on 10 hits, as she walked nine and struck out two in seven innings on the mound. 

Game 2 

The Yellow Jackets picked up their first victory in the last 13 games over the Skyhawks in game two of the doubleheader as redshirt freshman, Brittnay Geersen, led the way from the mound with an impressive showing going all seven innings, giving up just three earned runs on seven hits while striking out two on way to a 5-4 win. 

While Geersen chipped away at the Skyhawks the entire game, it was the Yellow Jacket offense that gave her a two run lead in the third inning to strike first in the game.  

The Jackets had five doubles in the contest, after taking an aggressive approach from the plate as FLC's Katie Watkins took the mound to give up five earned runs on eight Yellow Jacket hits in 6.2 innings pitching.  

Once again, BHSU's outfielders Shumpert and Smith had RBIs in the third as Shumpert hit Schmid home on a single, then Smith doubled to allow Shumpert to score to get the Jackets rolling. 

Tehenia Telliano hit a two run homer in the fourth inning to get FLC back tied with BHSU as both teams scored one run two innings later in the sixth before the Jackets took the victory in walk-off fashion in the seventh. 

It was Yellow Jackets 3B Alexis Shaffer, who hit the walk off RBI single that scored Shumpert to give the Jackets the first victory of the season in the bottom of the seventh inning.  Prior to Shaffer's game-winning hit, Brook Grant scored to tie the game after Smith grounded out to the pitcher, which also allowed Shumpert to advance to third, before Shaffer's lone hit of the game knocked Shumpert home. 

Shumpert and Campo both led the Jackets going 2-of-3 from the plate that included doubles from each. Geersen also doubled in the game and finished 1-of-3 offensively, before Schmid went 1-of-3 with a double and one run scored.  

Tuesday's (3/11) games versus Minot State have been cancelled due to anticipated cold weather and snowfall, therefore the Jackets will be back in action on Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 15-16, as they hit the road to face UC-Colorado Springs for back-to-back doubleheaders. 

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