GILLETTE, Wyo. – The Black Hills State University softball team split a doubleheader with Metropolitan State University Denver on Monday afternoon. The Roadrunners (26-20, 21-11 RMAC took the first game, 15-2 in five innings, before the Yellow Jackets (9-23, 9-15 RMAC) won, 10-9, in eight innings.

MSUD 15, BHSU 2 (5 innings)
The Roadrunners jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, scoring three in the second, one in the third, and six in the fourth, before the Yellow Jackets got on the board. After BHSU scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth with RBI by Maddi Fidler and Maddie London, MSUD scored two in the top of the fifth. BHSU was unable to muster the offense, and fell, 15-2.

London finished the game 3-for-3 with an RBI, while Fidler had two hits and a run batted in, and Brittany Henricksen had two hits.

Melissa Gellerman (4-12) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets. She allowed 10 runs (nine earned) in 3.1 innings. Paige McGuire threw the final 1.2 innings, giving up five runs (four earned).

BHSU 10, MSUD 9 (8 innings)
The Roadrunners got out of the gates fast in the final game of the series, taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the first. However, the Yellow Jackets immediately responded, scoring two runs of their own in the bottom of the inning. After Katelyn Odle doubled, Fidler hit her team leading seventh homer of the year to tie the game, 2-2.

In the third, MSUD scored one run, but BHSU immediately responded again, this time scoring two runs on RBI walks by Brittany and Bryce Henricksen. The Green and Gold added two more runs in the fourth inning. Fidler and Samantha Gill each hit RBI singles to give the Yellow Jackets a 6-3 lead.

In the top of the sixth inning, the Roadrunner bats got going, scoring four runs and coming back to take a 7-6 lead. MSU Denver added two more runs in the top of the seventh.

Down 9-6, Odle led off the seventh inning with a single. Maddie London then stepped up to the plate, and on the first pitch she saw, swatted one over the left field fence. On the ensuing pitch, Fidler smoked her second home run of the day, tying the game, 9-9.

In the eighth inning, the Roadrunners got one runner aboard, but the Yellow Jacket defense held, and the offense came up with a chance to win the game. Bryce Henricksen started things off with a single to right field. Claire Fergusson then slapped one into left field, and Odle walked. London stepped into the box, and drove a ball between the third baseman and shortstop, allowing Bryce Henricksen to easily cross the plate, sealing the victory for the Yellow Jackets.

Fidler was 4-for-4 in the game, with four RBI and two runs scored. London finished 3-for-6 with three runs batted in. Kindall Bethke and Odle were both 3-for-4 in the game.

Alex Wiley started in the circle for the Yellow Jackets. She allowed five runs in 5.1 innings. Gellermann (5-12) came in to close things out, allowing four runs in the final 2.2 innings, and earning the win.

The Green and Gold will next head to Regis to play a four-game series on April 21-22. First pitch on Saturday, April 21, is scheduled for noon.