TUCSON, Ariz – The Black Hills State University softball team split the final day of the Cactus Classic on Saturday. In the first game, the Yellow Jackets (3-5) defeated the University of Texas-Permian Basin, 7-2, before falling, 12-1, to Saint Martin's.

BHSU 7, UTPB 2

The Yellow Jackets got on the board first, scoring in the top of the first. The Falcons responded, scoring in the bottom of the inning, and then went ahead, 2-1, when they scored again in the third inning.

In the top of the fifth, BHSU retook the lead. Maddie London opened the inning with a single before getting bunted over to second. Samantha Gill came in to pitch hit, and ripped a pitch to left field, bringing in Morgan Smith, who was pinch running. Alex Wiley earned a walk to put runners on first and second, before Kindall Bethke hit an RBI single up the middle to give the Green and Gold a 3-2 lead.

The Yellow Jackets added an insurance run in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Brittany Henricksen. BHSU then added three more runs in the seventh inning on RBI by Maddi Fidler, Samantha Schoen, and Brittany Henricksen.

Four different players had two hits in the game, while seven players total got hits.

Alex Wiley (2-2) earned the win in the circle. She allowed two runs (one earned) in five innings, while striking out one. Crystal Amaral earned a save, throwing the final two innings, striking out three while allowing just one hit.  

SMU 12, BHSU 1 (5 innings)

The Saints started off the game on the front foot, scoring five runs in the first inning. They would add four runs in the second, and one in the third.

In the bottom of the third, the Yellow Jackets got one run back. Seanna Simpson got things going with a one-out single, before Samantha Gill and Brittany Henricksen followed that up with singles of their own to load the bases. Simpson was able to come across on a wild pitch.

Saint Martin's would get that run back in the fourth. The Yellow Jackets would load the bases in the home half of the fourth, but were unable to plate a run. SMU added to its cushion with one run in the fifth. BHSU got a couple of runners on in the bottom of the fifth, but ultimately fell, 12-1.

Six players recorded hits in the game.

Breanne Henricksen (0-1) took the loss for the Yellow Jackets. She allowed nine runs in 1.2 innings, striking out two.

The Green and Gold are next scheduled to open conference play. The Yellow Jackets will host Colorado School of Mines on February 22-23.

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Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.

---BHSUAthletics.com---