ST. CLOUD, Minn. – The Black Hills State University softball team (0-4, 0-0 RMAC) played two more games at the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament inside the Husky Dome today, dropping a pair of games to St. Cloud State (1-0, 0-0 NSIC) and Northern State (4-0, 0-0 NSIC).
 
GAME 1: St. Cloud State 19, Black Hills State 3 (F/5)
 
Pitching Decisions:
Win: Justyce Porter (1-0)
Loss: Shayla Tuschen (0-2)
 
After the Yellow Jackets went down in order to start the game with a 10:00 a.m. local start, it was the Huskies who struck first with a pair of runs in the bottom half of the frame. A lead-off double, single, and stolen base would put runners on second and third. A sacrifice fly and an RBI single down the line would make it 2-0 St. Cloud State after one inning of play.
 
Helping herself out in the circle, Shayla Tuschen (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) would start the second inning with a single. Ashlynn Pauwels (Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.) would single through the left side with one away, putting Yellow Jackets on the corners. Brining up Alyssa Wong (R-Fr., San Antonio, Texas), the transfer redshirt freshman would pick up her first-career collegiate hit with a single down the first base line that cut the deficit in half, making it 2-1 Huskies. BHSU wouldn't be able to pull even in the frame, but the momentum had officially shifted.
 
Tuschen would settle down in the circle and allow just one hit the next two innings. The following inning, BH would continue to swing the bat. Kayla Lee (Sr., Kearney, Neb.) would double to right center with one away which, again, would put the wheels in motion for an inning to put runs on the board. Tyler Whitlock (Jr., Erie, Neb.) would reach on a fielder's choice, putting runners on the corner. Tuschen would pick up an RBI ground out to make it 2-2. Gianna Haley (Gr., Arvada, Colo.) …
 
However, an explosive fourth inning for the host squad saw them put up 17 runs in the frame. A home run early in the season gave the home squad the lead once again. The bats would come alive for the Huskies who put up 16 hits in the frame alone to take the commanding 19-3 lead after four full innings from the Husky Dome.
 
Black Hills State got a pair of runners on in the fifth but would not be able to push across any more runs in what would be their final at-bat of the game, dropping the contest 19-3 to St. Cloud State.
 
GAME NOTES

• Alyssa Wong picked up her first-career hit and RBI, going 1-for-2 on the game.
• Shayla Tuschen picked up another multi-hit game, going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
• Kayla Lee also had a pair of hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.
• Tuschen made her second start in the circle.
• Laci Peskey and Malaya Coleman made appearances in the circle in relief, marking the first appearance in the circle for Coleman this season.
• St. Cloud State improves to 9-0 against the Yellow Jackets in the all-time series.

GAME 2: Northern State 5, Black Hills State 3
 
Pitching Decisions:
Win: Mckenzie Wanner (1-0)
Loss: Laci Peskey (0-2)
 
Similar to yesterday, the Wolves put the first run on the board in the first inning of today's game thanks to a solo home run from Claire Zbylut. Black Hills State used back-to-back hits in their first at bat, including a double from Lee to put a pair of runners in scoring position. But, ultimately, BHSU would not be able to push across the tying run in the frame.
 
For the second-straight inning, BH put two runners on, doing so this time with already two outs. Unable to secure the two-out hit to score, the Wolves took their 1-0 lead to the third inning. Northern State threatened to score again in the fourth, putting a pair of runners on and going on to extend their lead up to 4-0.
 
Finally, putting runners on in a frame turned into runs for the Yellow Jackets in the bottom half of the fourth. Following a pair of walks and with two outs in the inning, a Lily Simmons (So., Frederick, Colo.) double to left center would cut the Northern State lead to 4-2. Lee stepped into the box next and delivered an RBI single to make it a one run game at 4-3, keeping runners at the corner.
 
Northern Stated would tally one more run in the fifth inning, making the final score 5-3 when it was all said and done.
 
GAME NOTES

• Lily Simmons, Kayla Lee, and Ashlynn Pauwels all recorded doubles in the contest.
• Lee had a team-high three hits (3-for-4) and picked up her second stolen base of the season.
• Malia Ogee and Simmons both had two hits; Alyssa Wong worked a pair of walks.
• Laci Peskey got the start in the circle for the Yellow Jackets, her second start of the young season.
• She threw all seven innings and struck out two batters.
• Northern State now leads the all-time series 6-2 against the Yellow Jackets.

Up Next: The Yellow Jackets will conclude the Kelly Laas Memorial Tournament with a final game tomorrow morning Sunday, February 4 against the Beavers of Bemidji State University (Minn.) (0-2, 0-0 NSIC) at 8:00 a.m. (MT).