SPEARFISH, S.D.—The Black Hills State University softball team returned from a 14 day layoff at Chadron State College on Saturday, Mar. 7. The Yellow Jackets were searching for their first RMAC victory of the 2015 season against the Eagles, who registered their first and only RMAC victory against Western New Mexico 9-8 on Feb 22.
A seven-run third inning for the Eagles was the dagger for BHSU in a 9-1 loss in game one. The Yellow Jackets responded in game two with an 11-3 win.
Chadron State College 9, Yellow Jackets 1
The Eagles took a 2-0 lead after two innings of play. Katelyn Kruger knocked in the first run on an RBI-infield single in the first inning. With the bases loaded, Casey Polk reached on a fielder's choice that scored Shea Gorman in the second inning.
Those runs cleared the path for a big Chadron State seven-run third inning. Rebecca Wetsch set the tone with an infield single that scored Jessica Eatmon from third base to extend the Eagle lead to 3-0.
Taylor Bauer followed that with an RBI single that scored Wetsch to make the score 4-0. It continued to be a merry-go-round with the bases loaded. Aspen Eubanks was hit by a pitch, followed by a Polk infield single to make the score 6-0.
Zoe Humphries spun that merry-go-round faster when she was hit by a pitch to further the score to 7-0. An Eatmon RBI-single followed by a Kruger RBI-walk closed out the Chadron State scoring to make the score 9-0 after the third inning.
BHSU added their first run in the fifth inning when Nia Shumpert came around to score on Erica Everson's single to narrow the margin to 9-1.
Savanah Eckhardt, Stefanie Witman, and Carrie Clark collectively surrendered nine runs on eight hits in the circle for the Yellow Jackets.
Yellow Jackets 11, Chadron State College 3
The Yellow Jackets set the tone from the opening inning and didn't look back. Shumpert led off the first inning with a bunt single. She came around to score on Claire Fergusson's single to give BHSU a 1-0 lead.
Fergusson eventually scored on Alexis Shaffer's single to extend the Yellow Jacket lead to 2-0. Erica Everson also singled and scored from third base on Kelsea Nash's sacrifice fly to make the score 3-0.
BHSU added another run in the second inning when Katie Campo walked and scored on Katherine Drake's double to extend the margin to 4-0. Campo did damage in the third inning when her double platted Reagan McCurn to make the score 5-0.
The fourth inning saw the Yellow Jackets and Eagles trade a pair of runs to make the score 7-2, but the fifth inning proved to be the nail in the coffin.
Drake continued her stellar day at the plate with an RBI single that scored Campo to extend the BHSU lead to 8-2. After Fergusson reached on a fielder's choice to put a pair of runners on base, Everson answered with a three-run home run to make the score 11-2 through five innings.
The Eagles responded with a run in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kruger came up with an RBI-groundout to make the score 11-3.
Shumpert went 3-for-4 with a double to lead BHSU at the plate. Carlee Beck pitched a gem in a complete game effort. She surrendered three runs (one earned) on three hits.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action tomorrow, Sunday Mar. 8 at Chadron State College. First pitch for both games are set for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
