GOLDEN, Colo. – Black Hills State softball fell in a pair of close battles Monday afternoon, dropping game one, 4-3, and game two, 6-4.

The Yellow Jackets (0-4, 0-4 RMAC) totaled 14 hits on the day, including five for extra bases, and held a lead in 11 of the 14 innings played.

Shayla Tuschen tossed seven innings in game one, striking out six and only allowing one run over the first six frames.

In game two, Halie Litwin started and went three scoreless to open the game before Malaya Coleman relieved her and threw 2.1 shutout innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Shylee Moxey went 3-8 across both games with an RBI double and a run scored.

Tuschen went 4-6 on the day with four RBI and a run scored while and Kayla Lee totaled two hits, a walk, two runs scored and a stolen base.

Also recording hits were Taylor Dowden, who scored a run, and Ashlynn Pauwels who drove in a go-ahead RBI both in game one.

In game two, Tyler Whitlock had an RBI single, while Adreanna Lance and Lexi Apodaca also recorded base hits.

Game One (L, 4-3)
Lee tripled to get things going in the first inning of game one before Tuschen drove her in with a two-out RBI single through the left side to take a 1-0 lead.

Tuschen held CSM scoreless over her first four innings of work, striking out three and scattering seven hits to hold a 1-0 Yellow Jacket lead into the fifth.

Moxey reached base in the top half of the fifth with a single to follow a Pauwels walk, but BHSU wouldn't score, keeping their lead at 1-0. Tuschen picked up her fourth strikeout in the bottom half of the frame as she continued to hold the Orediggers scoreless.

CSM would finally answer in the bottom of the sixth with a two-out RBI double to even the score at 1-1.

With work to do in the top of the seventh, Dowden led off the inning with a pinch-hit single before stealing second and then advancing to third on a Klein groundout. Pauwels stepped up next and poked a single through the left side to put BHSU back on top, 2-1.

After a walk to Fouras, Moxey ripped a double out to right to add on to the lead, brining in the pinch runner, MiKayla Johnson, making it a 3-1 game.

The Orediggers threatened in the bottom of the seventh putting runners on second and third with no outs. A single up the middle tied the game at 3-all before another single and a sacrifice bunt eventually helped CSM walk off with a 4-3 win.

Game Two (L, 6-4)
BHSU was first to score in game two, driving in three in the top of the first behind a two-RBI double from Tuschen and then an RBI single from Whitlock to take an early 3-0 lead.

Litwin tossed three scoreless innings to open the game until the Orediggers put up a six-spot in the fourth inning to move ahead 6-3.

The Yellow Jackets got one back in the top of the fifth, making it 6-4 on an RBI single from Tuschen to plate Lee.

Coleman made quick work of CSM in the fifth and sixth innings, racking up a pair of strikeouts. BHSU wouldn't score in the seventh, though, and fell to the Orediggers in game two, 6-4.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets hit the road again next weekend to take on Colorado Mesa on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 26 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.