SPEARFISH, S.D.—The Black Hills State University softball team hit the road to Las Vegas, Nev. to compete in the Desert Stinger Tournament. The Yellow Jackets opened play on Friday against NSIC squads St. Cloud State University and Minot State University.
A first inning that saw BHSU allow six runs doomed them in a 10-1 loss to St. Cloud State University. The Yellow Jackets didn't fare much better in game two as they fell 16-2 to Minot State University.
St. Cloud State 10, Yellow Jackets 1
The Huskies touched BHSU up for six runs during the first inning of play. Emma Hodges got things rolling for St. Cloud with a three-run blast to center field to give them a 3-0 lead. St. Cloud turned a trio of Yellow Jacket errors into runs to close out the first inning with a 6-0 lead.
BHSU found their composure throughout the next two innings as they held the score to 6-0. St. Cloud State added another run in the fourth inning when Abby Bunnell scored on a sacrifice fly from Alyssa Coletto to extend the Huskie lead to 7-0.
Coletto hit a deep fly ball again in the fifth inning with a pair of runners on base, this time it went over the fence to make the score 10-0. The Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the bottom half of the fifth inning. This resulted in a run when Cassie Smith touched home plate when Katie Campo reached on a St. Cloud State error to narrow the margin to 10-1.
Nia Shumpert, Alyx Penrod, Smith, and Campo each registered a hit for BHSU.
Savanah Eckhardt took the loss on the rubber for the Yellow Jackets. She surrendered seven runs (four earned) on three hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Megan Hedstrom pitched all five innings for the Huskies and gave up one run (none earned) on four hits.
Minot State University 16, Yellow Jackets 2
After a scoreless first inning, Minot State exploded with a six-run second inning. Ashley Hill homered to lead things off to give the Beavers a 1-0 lead. Melissa Bell followed that with an RBI-single to extend the Beaver lead to 2-0. Things took a turn for the worse when Ali Cygan blasted a three-run home run to center field to make the score 6-0.
The Beavers added another six runs in the third inning. RBI-singles from Rachel Burdette, Jordan Grant, Cygan, and Sarah Nicks produced five of the six runs scored in the third inning. Nicks added a three-RBI double in the fourth inning to extend the score to 14-0.
Hill wrapped up the scoring in the inning for the Beavers on an RBI-groundout to make the score 16-0. The Yellow Jackets found the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of RBI-hits from Carrie Clark and Rebecca Green to narrow the score to 16-2.
Clark, Green, Alexis Shaffer, and Erica Everson each collected a hit for Black Hills State.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action tomorrow, Feb. 14 when they take on Cal-State-San Marcos and Texas Permian Basin. Game times are set for 11:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
