SPEARFISH, S.D.—The Black Hills State University softball team entered Saturday's doubleheader with Fort Lewis College with a chip on their shoulder. The Yellow Jackets found themselves leading for a majority of both contests on Friday before falling in the final inning.
Things proved to be the same on day two as the Yellow Jackets fell a pair of games to the Skyhawks 7-5 and 12-4. BHSU falls to 1-8, 0-4 RMAC while Fort Lewis improves to 6-9, 4-0 RMAC.
Fort Lewis College 7, Yellow Jackets 5
Missy Fundora picked up where she left off yesterday when she led off the game with a walk and stolen base. Myndee Thompson converted with an RBI-double that scored Fundora to give the Skyhawks a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Carlee Beck relieved Carrie Clark on the rubber for BHSU mid-way through the second inning. Beck didn't allow a base runner throughout the second and third inning. The Yellow Jacket defense was a reason why as Beck's outs came on groundouts.
That changed in the bottom of the fourth inning when Jeovanna Rios singled to center field and stole second base. Denae Fisher's bunt single sent Rios to third base to put runners on the corners. Rios eventually touched home plate on a passed ball to extend the Skyhawk lead to 2-0.
Fisher came home from third base on Nikki Klepfer's groundout to make the score 3-0. Fundora put the exclamation point on the fourth inning with a solo home run to extend their lead to 4-0.
The Yellow Jackets found two-out magic in the top of the fifth inning. Nia Shumpert reached on an error, followed by a Cassie Smith walk and Claire Fergusson single to load the bases. Kate Campo and Alexis Shaffer came through with back-to-back RBI walks to narrow the Skyhawk lead to 4-2.
The Skyhawks added more offense in the bottom of the sixth inning when Klepfer and Kaitlyn Bending came up with back-to-back singles. Fundora followed that with a single that scored Mandy Owens (pinch runner) to extend the Fort Lewis lead to 5-2.
Bending came around to score on Adriana Rosthenhausel's ground out to make the score 6-2. Thompson made it 7-2 with an RBI-single up the middle that scored Fundora.
Erica Everson set the tone for a potential BHSU rally with a two-run bomb in the seventh inning to narrow the Skyhawk lead to 7-4. Rebecca Green singled, and came home from third base on Katherine Drake's sacrifice fly to make the score 7-5.
Everson and Shumpert each registered two hits to lead the Yellow Jacket offense. Carrie Clark took the loss on the rubber for BHSU. She gave up one run and three walks in 1 1/3 innings of work
Fort Lewis College 12, Yellow Jackets 4
The Skyhawks tagged BHSU pitcher Savanah Eckhardt and Kaitlin Farrar for a combined six runs in the first inning. However, the Yellow Jackets mounted a potential comeback in the second inning with four runs.
Rebecca Green singled, Smith reached on a fielder's choice, and Shumpert walked to load the bases to kick off the second inning. Campo, Fergusson, and Everson came up with back-to-back singles to narrow the Skyhawk lead to 6-3. Fergusson later came around to score on Alexis Shaffer's double to make the score 6-4.
The Skyhawks added another run in the bottom of the second inning when Lauren Caldwell doubled. She came around to score on Rios' double to make the score 7-4.
A fifth inning that saw the Yellow Jackets give up five runs put the nail in the coffin and secured a Skyhawk 12-4 victory. Bending, Rosthenhausler and Thompson each registered RBI hits for Fort Lewis in the fifth inning.
Everson and Shaffer led BHSU at the plate with two hits apiece. Eckhardt took the loss in the circle for the Yellow Jackets. She gave up five runs (two earned) on three hits.
The Yellow Jackets will open the home portion of the 2015 schedule on Saturday, Feb. 28 against Regis University. Game times are set for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
