SPEARFISH, S.D. – The N.M. Highlands University Cowgirls softball team defeated the Yellow Jackets (1-16, 1-11 RMAC) in both conference games on Saturday afternoon in Spearfish.  NMHU took game one, 9-6, and game two by a score of 12-6. 

GAME 1 

Both teams started off the weekend of play with active bats as NMHU had an early 4-3 lead after the first inning.  The Jackets took the lead, 5-4 after the second before the Cowgirls added two runs in both the third and fifth innings before taking the 3-run victory. 

The Yellow Jackets responded to an early 4-0 deficit after the top of the first inning thanks a homerun by 2B Katie Campo that also scored DH Erica Everson and LF Nia Shumpert.  Campo finished 1-of-2 from the plate with the 3 RBIs to lead the Jackets. 

The other Yellow Jacket runs to take the lead came after a RF Katherine Drake hit a two-run homer to score CF Brook Grant in the bottom of the second inning. 

The Cowgirls were led offensively by 1B Dekota Monarrez, who finished 2-for-2 with two RBIs and three runs scored.  RF Amber Cordero and LF Dominique Padilla both had two hits and two RBIs to help their team secure the win in the closing innings. 

BHSU were led on the mound by Kaitlin Farrar, who went 6.1 innings and had seven strikeouts before giving up seven earned runs on 10 hits.  Jessica Brink went all seven innings for NMHU and finished with eight strikeouts while surrendering six earned runs on nine hits. 

GAME 2 

NMHU's leader both from the mound and offensively on the season, Jacquelyn Wood, held the Jackets in the second game of the day to six runs after pitching a complete game with three strikeouts and five earned runs on 11 hits by the Jackets. 

From the plate, Wood scored two runs after going 2-of-5 with a triple.  NMHU led all batters in the game after going 3-of-4 with a game leading four RBIs. 

The Jackets began the game with a 1-0 lead after two innings of play when an 3B Erica Everson single scored LF Nia Shumpert.  In the third inning however, the NMHU offense came to life to score six runs in the top-half of the innings. 

The Yellow Jackets scored four runs in the fourth after 1B Rebecca Green doubled to score Cassie Smith.  Katherine Drake then hit an RBI single that scored Green, before Shumpert tripled and then scored after an error on the NMHU shortstop.

Pitching for the Jackets was Savanah Eckhardt for 2.2 innings, and Brittany Geersen for three innings.  Eckhardt gave up four earned runs on 10 NMHU hits, and Geersen was charged for five runs on seven hits. 

Tomorrow's doubleheader games in Spearfish versus NMHU have been moved up an hour each, with the first pitch in game one now scheduled for 10 a.m., game two will begin at 12 noon. 

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