DENVER, Colo – The Black Hills State University softball team finished weekend play in Denver, Colo., with a 6-4 victory over MSU-Denver (19-21, 14-10 RMAC), after falling, 5-3, to Dixie State (26-9, 20-8 RMAC).  The Yellow Jackets move to a 10-19 overall record (7-14 RMAC), for their best overall record since 2015. 
 
Game 1: DSU 5, BHSU 3
The Trailblazers opened the game with a single up the middle by Bailey Gaffin to score the runner from third in the first.  BHSU immediately responded after Samantha Schoen was hit by a pitch to lead off for the Yellow Jackets.  Dominique DiManna followed with her first career homerun to tally two RBI, giving the Green and Gold a 2-1 lead.  Dixie State came back to tie the game in the second with a single to left center before adding another two runs in the third and fourth to take the lead.
 
Kindall Bethke took the ball deep for another Yellow Jacket homer to left field to bridge the Trailblazers' lead in the bottom of the seventh, but DSU's defense held BHSU to take the conference victory, 5-3.
 
Cambrie Hazel (15-3) received the win for Dixie State, allowing one run (one earned), three hits and striking out three in 3.2 innings.  Alex Wiley (3-9) was the losing pitcher after allowing four runs (two earned) and five hits through four complete innings. 
 
Bethke led the Yellow Jackets offense with three hits, while DiManna led in RBI with two.  Maddie London and Crystal Amaral each recorded one hit. 
 
Game 2: BHSU 6, MSUD 4
 
Samantha Schoen got things going in the first inning after she was hit by a pitch to put a runner on base before Dominique DiMinna singled to right field to record the RBI.   Megan Sansburn responded for the Roadrunners hitting an RBI double to tie the game until MSUD brought in another two runs to take a 3-1 lead. 
 
In the top of the fourth, Maddie London smoked the ball up the middle to score Bethke from second, bringing the score within one.  Maddi Fidler kept BHSU's bats going with a two-run homerun to give the Yellow Jackets a 5-3 lead.  The Roadrunners added a run at the bottom of the inning to bridge the gap of the Green and Gold's lead.
 
After two scoreless innings, Katelyn Odle added an insurance run for the Yellow Jackets after recording an RBI single.   With a three up, three down bottom of the inning, BHSU held the Roadrunners to record their first victory of the weekend. 
 
Crystal Amaral (7-5) earned her seventh victory of the year, allowing four runs (one earned), eight hits and striking out two through seven complete innings.  MSU-Denver's Kylee Burnside received the loss in 3.2 innings, allowing five runs (five earned) and five hits.
 
Bethke and London led the Green and Gold at the plate, totaling two hits each, while Maddi Fidler tallied three RBI. Caitlyn Graves and Alex Wiley also recorded a hit for BHSU.
 
Up next, the Yellow Jackets will return home to host a four-game series against UCCS, on April 13 and 14.