ALAMOSA, Colo. – Following their 17-run outburst in game one on Saturday, the Black Hills State University Softball team could not regain their magic at the plate resulting in a doubleheader sweep at the hands of Adams State University on Sunday afternoon at the ASU Softball Field. Unforced mistakes proved costly in an 8-5 loss in game one before a trio of multi-run innings by the Grizzlies resulted in an 11-3 rule-rule defeat in the second game.
 
With the losses, the Yellow Jackets drop to 4-12 this spring with all of their games coming against conference opponents. ASU, meanwhile, advances to 6-19 with the sweep, including 3-11 against RMAC foes.
 
Shayla Tuschen got the nod in the circle in game one for the Yellow Jackets and she pitched better than her final pitching line would indicate, going all six frames, for her fourth complete game. She finished with eight runs allowed, six of them earned, on a dozen hits and did not surrender a walk against her seven strikeouts, taking the loss and falling to 3-5. Danielle Hood started in game one for Adams State, tossing the first 3.2 innings allowing four runs, all earned, on five hits and four walks, striking out a pair. She did not factor into the decision though, as it was Tayler Duncan who earned the win in relief to move to 2-2 after going 3.1 innings allowing just a single run on a home run, surrendering five hits while fanning two against no walks.
 
Malaya Coleman took the ball in game two for BHSU, lasting just 2.0+ allowing seven runs, all earned, on six hits and three walks while striking out one to take the loss and fall to 0-2. Kailey Bond followed, and she kept the Yellow Jackets in the game for much of her outing. She struck out three while not walking a batter across her 3.1 innings of work during which she allowed seven hits and four runs, all earned and all coming in the sixth frame. Jasmine Garbiso was in the circle for the Grizzlies finishing her second complete game of the season going all six frames allowing three runs, all earned, on seven hits and a walk, striking out two in the winning effort to improve to 2-2.
 
Game 1 (L, 8-5)
The first half of game one was relatively uneventful. Black Hills State threatened in the first inning in a fashion reminiscent of their four-run opening frame in the first game on Saturday, with a leadoff walk and a steal of second by Shylee Moxey. A wild pitch placed Moxey at third with Shayla Tuschen at the plate and she found a barrel, but the ball found a glove as she lined out to third and the visitors were unable to plate the run.
 
In the home half, the Grizzlies plated an unearned run. With two on and two out, Kaia Bradford dropped down a bunt and beat the play at first. The lead runner, Jade Garbiso, wound up in no man's land between third and home, drawing a throw to the dish from Ashlynn Pauwels, but that got away and the Grizzlies had the advantage after one.
 
The Yellow Jackets would get even in the second with some help from the opposing defense. Gianna Haley led off with a swinging bunt, beating the play at first as an errand throw allowed her to take second. A walk preceded the first out for ASU starter Danielle Hood, who then induced a potential double play grounder to third. Mariah Madrid handled it and brought it to the bag to get the force, but her throw across the diamond skipped in the turf and was unable to be handled by first baseman Tayler Duncan. MiKayla Johnson extended the frame by legging out an infield hit to first, loading the bases for Moxey who worked the count full, giving the runners a head start. That would end up making a huge difference as she rolled one over to short, but Johnson once again beat the play, this time at second base, and the Yellow Jackets were safe all around, tying the score at one in the process.
 
An unceremonious third would set up a wild second half of the contest. BHSU would claim their first lead of the day in the top of the fourth. With two away, Lily Simmons would blast one into left-center that hopped over the fence for a ground-rule double. Johnson then stepped to the plate in another critical spot, and she took advantage smoking a line drive inside the bag at third and off the glove of Madrid, plating Simmons with a double. Taking the advantage with a two-out run, the Yellow Jackets could have settled for just the lone tally, but they were not done as a wild pitch, a walk, and a stolen base put runners on second and third, setting the stage for Kayla Lee. Greeting the new pitcher for the Grizzlies, Tayler Duncan, who slid over from first base, Lee floated a single that came free on a diving catch attempt by Belinda Vargas in left center. Off on contact with two outs, both runners would score on the play, doubling BHSU's scoring output and giving the guests a 4-1 lead halfway through.
 
Adams State would reclaim a lead that they would never surrender in the bottom of the frame, plating a quartet of two-out runs. With a runner on first and a pair of batters retired, Duncan, Briannay Rosas, and Madrid collected three consecutive singles, the second of which was a floater that landed just inside the line in left to score a run. Garbiso followed and hit one deep to left that Sydney Barner appeared to have a read on, but it tipped off her glove for three bags, emptying the pillows and granting the hosts the lead, 5-4.
 
The Grizzlies tacked on insurance runs in both the fifth and sixth, plating an unearned run on a triple by Angeline Mitchell in the former frame. Then with two outs in the sixth, Garbiso hit a three-bagger and Vargas delivered the knockout punch, taking the first pitch of her plate appearance over the fence in left-center field for her third home run of the season making the score 8-4.
 
Pauwels would lead off the seventh by extending her hitting streak to 11 games with her third home run of the series and sixth of the season to cut the deficit. However, a comeback bid was not in the cards as the tying run would get no closer than the on-deck circle for BHSU as they dropped game one, 8-5.
 
Game 2 (L, 11-3)
Black Hills State would jump on the scoreboard in the first against Jasmine Garbiso. For the third time in the series, Shylee Moxey led off by drawing a walk, her fourth free pass of the four-game set, and she advanced on a line drive single to left by Kayla Lee. Shayla Tuschen opened the scoring by clubbing a double into the power alley in left center before Ashlynn Pauwels drove her seventh run of the weekend with a sacrifice fly making the score 2-0 in favor of the Yellow Jackets.
 
Adams State had an answer in the home half, a pair of walks, one on either side of a pop out and a single loaded the bases with one out. An infield fly pop out ensued and BHSU starter Malaya Coleman got on the verge of escaping the jam with two strikes to Angeline Mitchell, but she smoked a line drive past third and into the leftfield corner, clearing the bases and giving the Grizzlies the edge.
 
After extending the advantage with another run-scoring triple in the second, this one by Mariah Madrid, the hosts piled it on in the third. Sydney Muniz drew a leadoff walk and went first to third on a Kaia Bradford single. The throw on the play allowed Bradford to take second, but it did not matter as Mitchell would connect on her second run-scoring extra-base hit of the contest, this one a two-run double. The Yellow Jackets would make a change in the circle turning to Kailey Bond and she would do well to limit the damage. Mitchell advanced to third on a retracted sacrifice bunt attempt during which BHSU would be caught without a fielder covering third, then she crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly by Danielle Hood, but Bond closed the frame with a pair of K's as the score was 7-2 through three.
 
Black Hills State would piece together a run in the top of the fifth. Moxey got things started with a single back through the box before stealing second and taking third on a productive out by Lee. The Yellow Jackets had contact play on as Tuschen grounded one to the backhand side of Madrid at third base for ASU. Madrid threw home, but Moxey avoided the tag to score. The visitors threatened for more as Pauwels continued her torrid stretch, advancing her hitting streak to a dozen with a single up the middle. Gianna Haley followed by clobbering a ball into deep left, but she just missed it, coming a few feet shy of home run that would have cut the deficit to one.
 
Unfortunately, Haley's deep drive would be as close as the Yellow Jackets would get. After escaping the third inning, Bond threw well giving BHSU a chance to get back in the ballgame until the Grizzlies figured her out in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs on three singles, a two-run double, a wild pitch that plated a run, and an RBI single to activate the run-rule as Black Hills State came away empty-handed, falling 11-3.
 
Up Next
Weather permitting, Black Hills State will return to Yellow Jacket Field for the first time next when they are scheduled to host Metropolitan State University of Denver for a weekend set. The games are currently scheduled for a doubleheader on Friday, March 17^th, beginning at noon followed by a twinbill on Saturday, March 18^th with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 AM.
 
-bhsuathletics.com-