SPEARFISH, S.D.—The Black Hills State University softball team is searching for their first win since knocking off Colorado School of Mines on Mar. 14. The Yellow Jackets took a brief hiatus from RMAC play on Wednesday afternoon when they traveled to NAIA foe Dickinson State University.

The blustery winds in Dickinson, ND didn't do wonders for BHSU as they fell a pair of nonconference games to the Blue Hawks by scores of 13-5 and 3-1.

The losses drop the Yellow Jacket's record to 4-23 while Dickinson State improves to 18-5.

Dickinson State 13, Yellow Jackets 5

The Blue Hawks took a 3-0 first inning lead thanks to RBI's from Monique Yslas, Brooke Schmitt, and Regan Lawrence. The Yellow Jackets responded with a run in the second inning when Cassie Smith doubled and scored on Carrie Clarke's single to narrow the margin to 3-1.

That wouldn't be enough as the Bluehawks built their lead to 4-1 in the second inning when Brooke Schmitt drove in McKenzie Kenobble with an RBI-single.

The Blue Hawks were just getting warmed up as they tagged the Yellow Jackets for five runs in the third inning to take a 9-1 lead. RBI-singles from Yslas, Schmitt, and Janell LaRont paced the five-run Dickinson State third inning. The Yellow Jacket wound grew deeper in the fourth inning when the Blue Hawks added a pair of runs to extend their lead to 11-1.

The Yellow Jackets mounted a small comeback in the fifth inning when Katie Campo and Alexis Shaffer each registered two-run hits to narrow the Blue Hawk lead to 11-5. That proved to be short lived as Dickinson State responded with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to make the score 13-5.

Carrie Clarke and Kaitlin Farrar each saw time in the circle for BHSU. Six different Yellow Jackets registered a hit.

Dickinson State 3, Yellow Jackets 1

Katie Campo set the tempo for the Yellow Jackets with a solo-home run in the first inning to give the Yellow Jackets a 1-0 lead. That proved to be short-lived as the Blue Hawks responded in the bottom of the first inning and didn't look back.

McKenzie Kenobble took advantage of a few Yellow Jacket errors to tie the game at one run a piece.

Solid pitching from Stefanie Witman kept BHSU in the game, but the Blue Hawks would start to pick away. They did just that in the fourth inning when Regan Lawrence and Brianna Grayson came up with back-to-back singles. This paved the way for McKenna Kostelecky, who drove in Lawrence on a groundout to give Dickinson State a 2-1 lead.

Dickinson State added a run of the small ball variety in the sixth inning. Janell LaRont singled and advanced to third on a Claudia Torres sacrifice bunt. LaRont would score on a Lawrence infield single to make the score 3-1.

Stefanie Witman surrendered three runs (one earned) on four hits in a complete game effort for BHSU. Erica Everson, Campo and Shaffer each had a hit for the Yellow Jackets.

Nia Shumpert's three stolen bases on the afternoon gives her 20 this season, tying a BHSU single-season record. She ties Ashley Berg's 20 stolen bases in 2010.

BHSU will return to action on Friday, Apr. 3 at Colorado Mesa University for a doubleheader. Game times are set for 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.