DURANGO, Colo. – Black Hills State softball fell to Fort Lewis in Sunday's doubleheader, 7-6, 3-2.

The Yellow Jackets (4-24, 4-24 RMAC) tallied 15 hits on the day, including two home runs and two doubles.

Shayla Tuschen (.350), Ashlynn Pauwels (.338) and Kayla Lee (.310) all remain above .300, and Kayla Lee improved to 19-of-20 on stolen base attempts.

Game One (L, 7-6)
BHSU tallied 10 hits in game one, seeing six different Yellow Jackets record hits, and five different runners score.

Sydney Barner and Ashlynn Pauwels each hit a home run in the game and recorded a hit and two RBI apiece.

Kayla Lee went 2-4 with a run scored and a stolen base, while Tyler Whitlock went 1-4 with a steal and a run scored.

Shayla Tuschen finished 3-3 with a walk, and RBI and a run scored, while also going 4.2 innings in the circle, allowing just one earned run and striking out two.

Gianna Haley went 2-3 at the plate with a double and drove in a run.

Down 1-0 in the second inning, a Tuschen single put one on for Barner who cranked a two-run home run out to left field, giving the Yellow Jackets a 2-1 lead.

Lee and Whitlock both reached on singles in the top of the third, setting the table for the Yellow Jacket to play add-on. Pauwels drove in a run with a grounder to short, who attempted to catch the speedy Lee at home, but the throw was late.

Tuschen and Haley each followed up with RBI singles, sending in Whitlock and Pauwels, respectively, extending the lead to 5-1.

In the bottom of the third, Tuschen got into some trouble in the circle with one out and the bases loaded. Facing the Skyhawks' DH, Tuschen battled nine pitches before striking out her opponent and then retiring the next hitter to escape the jam unscathed.

FLC exploded for six runs in the fifth, however, to move back on top 7-5.

With two outs, Ashlyn Pauwels slugged a solo home run to pull the Yellow Jackets within one, 7-6. BHSU continued to rally as a Tuschen walk and Haley double put runners on second and third with two outs, but the Skyhawks would end the threat and win 7-6.

Game Two (L, 3-2)
Both teams were quiet with the bats to start the game, with the Yellow Jackets seeing the only hit of the game in the first three innings of play.

FLC struck first in the fourth with a sacrifice fly to take a 1-0 lead. That lead held into the sixth when Whitlock singled and was later driven in on a Tuschen RBI single.

Haley followed with a double out to right-center field to score Tuschen and give BHSU its first lead, 2-1 late in the game.

Kailey Bond continued to deal in the circle as she entered the bottom of the seventh having allowed just one run on five hits and striking out two.

Fort Lewis used three hits in the bottom of the seventh to plate one, even the score at 2-all, and send the game into extra innings before winning, 3-2.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets are back in action again next weekend in Lakewood, Colorado to take on Colorado Christian on Thursday, April 6 at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and Friday April 7 at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.