ALAMOSA, Colo. – The Black Hills State University softball team split a doubleheader with Fort Lewis College on Saturday afternoon. The Yellow Jackets (8-11, 5-6 RMAC) fell, 12-2, in the first game, before coming back to win, 5-4, over the Skyhawks (7-20, 2-12 RMAC) in the second game.

FLC 12, BHSU 2 (5 innings)

The Green and Gold jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Alex Wiley opened the game with a hit by pitch before Katelyn Odle laid down a sacrifice bunt to move her to second. Kindall Bethke came up to the plate and hit a single to right field, bringing Wiley around to score. Two batters later, Maddi Fidler tallied an RBI groundout, allowing Bethke to cross the plate.

However, the Skyhawks responded in the bottom of the first inning, scoring four runs. They added eight runs in the second to lead, 12-2. The Yellow Jackets got two runners on in the top of the fifth, but were unable to bring across any runs, and ultimately fell in five innings.

Fidler and Bethke recorded the two runs batted in for BHSU, while Samantha Schoen was 2-for-2.

Alex Wiley (3-5) took the loss in the circle, allowing 12 runs (nine earned) in 1.1 innings. Darian Gottfried threw the final 2.2 innings, allowing one hit.

BHSU 5, FLC 4

Defense was key in the second game, as neither team scored until the bottom of the third, when back-to-back doubles by the Skyhawks put them on top, 1-0.

The Yellow Jackets took the lead in the top of the fourth, scoring two runs. Fidler drove in Bethke, before Dominique DiManna had an RBI single to score Morgan Smith. However, FLC went back on top in the home half of the inning, recording three runs to take a 4-2 lead.

The score would remain in the Skyhawks' favor until the top of the sixth. With two outs and two runners on base, DiManna hit a double to center to bring across two runs. The next batter up was Hailey Franklin. She sent a single to center field, allowing DiManna to score, giving the Yellow Jackets a 5-4 edge. In the bottom of the sixth, Fort Lewis threatened, loading the bases with two outs. However, Crystal Amaral induced a groundout to end the threat. The defense held in the seventh, as BHSU earned the conference victory.

DiManna finished the game with three runs batted in, also going 3-for-3 at the plate. Fidler also had a multi-hit game, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI. Katelyn Odle and Franklin each had a hit.

Amaral (5-2) earned the complete game victory. She allowed four runs in seven innings, striking out six.   

The Green and Gold will play another doubleheader against Fort Lewis on Sunday, March 17. The first game is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

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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---