DENVER, Colo. – The Black Hills State University softball team dropped a pair of RMAC games in Denver on Saturday. The Yellow Jackets (2-11, 1-5 RMAC) fell to MSU-Denver (11-6, 3-2 RMAC), 6-2, to start the day, before losing to the Dixie State (15-3, 3-1 RMAC), 10-2, in the second game.

MSU-Denver 6, BHSU 2

The day started off promising as the Yellow Jackets started the scoring with 2 runs in the top of the first inning. Kindall Bethke reached base on a single up the middle. Maddie London and Dominique DiManna both drew walks, leaving the bases loaded for Crystal Amaral. Amaral delivered with a single to the outfield that drove in Bethke and London, giving the Green and Gold a 2-0 lead. In the top of the second, the Yellow Jackets threatened to add to their lead when Taryn Moan reached base on a two-out double down the right field line. However, the Green and Gold were unable to capitalize and score any additional runs.

The 2-0 Yellow Jackets advantage lasted until the bottom of the fourth inning when the Roadrunners scored on a two-run home run by Alyssa Richter to tie the game at 2-2. In the top of the fifth, Bethke doubled to reach base, but the Green and Gold were unable to score and regain their advantage. Instead, MSU-Denver took the lead for the first time in the bottom of the fifth when Rebecca Gonzales hit a double that drove in two runs, making the difference 4-2 in favor of MSU-Denver.

The Roadrunners continued their scoring in the bottom of the sixth with an Ari Valdez double that drove in one run, followed by a run batted in by Haley Doughty to take a 6-2 lead. The Yellow Jackets were unable to threaten with any baserunners in the top of the seventh, and the game concluded with MSU-Denver on top by a final score of 6-2.

Amaral (1-for-2) recorded two RBIs, while Bethke was 2-for-4 in the game with one double. Moan also tallied one hit with a double of her own.

Amaral (1-4) took the loss in the circle for the Yellow Jackets. The sophomore threw 5.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on six hits while striking out one. Halie Litwin finished the sixth inning and did not allow any runs.

Dixie State 10, BHSU 2 (5 innings)

Dixie State jumped ahead early in the second game of the day when doubles by both Malory Eldredge and Meagan Anders drove in four total runs in the bottom of the first. In the top of the third inning, the Yellow Jackets fought back to cut the deficit in half. After Taryn Moan singled and stole second base, Kindall Bethke flied out but allowed Moan to advance to third base. Maddie London then hit a two-run home run to left field, and the Yellow Jackets trailed Dixie State by a score of 4-2.

The Trailblazers did not take long to respond. In the bottom of the third, a bases-loaded walk allowed Dixie State to push their lead to 5-2. Dixie State scored four more runs in the bottom of the fourth when Shea Clements drove in one run with a single, Eldredge drove in two runs with a triple, and Anders singled to drive in the final run of the inning for the Trailblazers. After four innings, the Yellow Jackets trailed 9-2.

The Green and Gold had a chance to cut into Dixie State's lead when the Yellow Jackets loaded the bases in the top of the fifth inning, but Mikayla Johnson was thrown out at home when London hit into a fielder's choice. The missed opportunity allowed the Trailblazers to maintain a 9-2 lead. The game ended in the bottom of the fifth inning when a Clements single scored another run for Dixie State, pushing the final score to 10-2.

Moan (1-for-2) and Bethke (1-for-3) each recorded a hit. London was 2-for-3 with one home run and two RBIs.

Breanne Henricksen (0-2) took the loss for the Green and Gold. The junior threw 4.1 innings, allowing ten runs (six earned) while striking out three. Darian Gottfried finished on the mound, allowing one hit.

The Yellow Jackets will have rematches against both Dixie State and MSU-Denver on March 1. The Green and Gold will take on the Trailblazers at 1 p.m. mountain time before playing the Roadrunners at 3 p.m.