SPEARFISH, S.D.—The Black Hills State University softball team had an opportunity to build their two-game winning streak at home against Colorado Christian University on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets kept things close through out the opening stages of game one, but a couple late-inning Cougar runs sealed their fate in a 9-1 loss.
BHSU was able to muster three seventh inning runs in game two, but their comeback fell short in a 9-8 loss.
The Yellow Jackets' record falls to 6-29, 3-23 RMAC while Colorado Christian improves to 19-21, 13-11 RMAC.
Colorado Christian 9, Yellow Jackets 1
The Yellow Jackets and Cougars traded runs in the first inning after
Cassie Smith hit a solo home run to make the score 1-1.
The Cougars took over with eight unanswered runs throughout the game. They got started in the third inning when a Kristina Billante double followed by Letty Valenzuela and Danielle Romine walks loaded the bases.
After Alexa Coffing reached on a fielder's choice, Stephanie Tatham and Amy Edison came through with back-to-back bases loaded walks to give Colorado Christian a 3-1 lead. Coffing later scored on a wild pitch to extend the Cougar lead to 4-1.
The Cougars added three more runs in the fifth inning when Stephanie Tatham doubled and scored on a Rylee Halenar RBI-single to make the score 5-1. Jessica Romine and Billante each came up with back-to-back RBI-doubles to extend the score to 7-1.
Colorado Christian put the nail in the coffin in the sixth inning when a Coffing walk, Tatham single and a Jessica Romine single loaded the bases.
Halenar responded with a bases loaded walk to make the score 8-1. Jessica Romine followed that with an RBI-single that scored Tatham to extend the margin to 9-1.
Erica Everson led BHSU with two hits at the plate. Stefanie Witman took the pitching loss for the Yellow Jackets. She gave up four runs on four hits in 2 2/3 innings of work.
Colorado Chrtistian 9, Yellow Jackets 8
Gabby Valenzuela made a statement for the Cougars in the first inning with a three-run home run to give them a 3-0 lead.
BHSU responded with two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Nia Shumpert led the way with a triple and run off Alexis Shaffer's single to narrow the margin to 3-1. After Stefanie Witman reached on a fielder's choice, Rebecca Green singled to load the bases. This set up Katie Campo's bases loaded single that scored Shaffer to narrow the Colorado Christian lead to 3-2.
Strong pitching from Carlee Beck kept the score 3-2 until a four-run Cougar fourth inning extended their lead to 7-2.
The Yellow Jackets responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth inning when Green hit a ground rule double and advanced to third base on Campo's single. Green touched home plate when Kayla Hallock hit into a double play to make the score 7-3.
The Cougars added their last two runs of the game in the sixth inning to make the score 9-3.
This didn't faze the Yellow Jackets as they mounted a comeback. Green and Campo set the tone for the comeback with back-to-back solo home runs in the sixth inning to make the score 9-5.
Everson added another home run in the seventh inning to narrow the margin to 9-6. Back-to-back singles from Shaffer and Witman set up an RBI opportunity for Campo. Campo prevailed with an RBI-single that knocked in Shaffer to narrow the gap to 9-7.
Witman scored on Kelsea Nash's infield single to narrow the Colorado Christian lead to 9-8, but that's all BHSU was able to muster.
Beck took the pitching loss for BHSU. She gave up seven runs on ten hits in 3 2/3 innings of work. Campo went 4-for-4 to lead the Yellow Jackets at the plate.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action tomorrow, April 12 against Colorado Christian at the BHSU Softball Complex. Game times are set for 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
