LAS VEGAS, N.M. – Black Hills State softball split its Sunday doubleheader at New Mexico Highlands, winning game two 14-3 after dropping game one 8-6.

The Yellow Jackets (2-2, 2-2 RMAC) close opening weekend with a pair of wins on 36 runs as a team. Saturday, the offense tallied 20 runs on 25 hits.

Shayla Tuschen tossed game one for the Yellow Jackets, allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out seven over 4.1 innings.

Crystal Amaral earned the win in game two, pitching all five innings, allowing only three runs on five hits while striking out six.

Bell Luebken led the offense, finishing with four hits, going 4-5 with a double, three RBI and a run scored while drawing three walks.

Fallyn Marshall went 4-8 on the day with two doubles, four runs scored and an RBI.

Catcher Bayleigh Hubbard hit two home runs to go along with four RBI and two runs scored.

Gianna Haley also had a home run on the day as she finished with 3-7 with four RBI and two runs scored.

Game One (L, 8-6)
The Yellow Jacket offense put the team ahead 3-0 in the first inning. After loading the bases, an Amaral sacrifice fly and back-to-back doubles from Tuschen and Haley opened the scoring.

Haley added a solo shot in the third to extend the lead to 4-0 through three innings of play.

Tuschen was cruising in the circle through the first three innings, only allowing one hit. But the Cowgirls rallied back, scoring two each in the fourth and fifth to even the game at 4-all.

A four-run sixth for NMHU gave them an 8-4 advantage entering the final frame. A 2-out Hubbard 2-run blast in the top of the seventh cut the lead to 8-6, but that would be all as they dropped game one.

Game Two (W, 14-3)
All nine batters in the starting lineup recorded hits as the team totaled 15 hits, six extra base hits and seven walks.

BHSU scored first and pushed two across before loading the bases with no outs. That started what became a 9-run first inning as 12 Yellow Jackets reached base on eight hits.

After batting around, Marshall hit an RBI double to center to make it 7-0 before a Tuschen 2-run double made it 9-0.

BHSU added to the lead in the third after Hubbard took a pitch out to center that tipped off the end of the center fielder's glove and sailed over the fence for a 2-run home run, extending the lead to 11-0.

After NMHU pushed one across in the bottom of the third, a pair of walks and two hits for the Yellow Jackets in the top of the fourth added some insurance runs to lead 14-1.

NMHU threatened in the bottom of the fourth with two on and one out, but Amaral struck out the next two Cowgirls to end the inning.

That score held into the bottom of the fifth when NMHU tacked on two more runs, but BHSU held on to win 14-3 in five innings.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets are scheduled to host UCCS for doubleheaders on Saturday, March 5 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday, March 6 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.