SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University softball team (5-12, 4-8 RMAC) put on a show Saturday afternoon on Senior Day at Yellow Jacket Field, taking the final two games against CSU Pueblo (6-17, 4-8 RMAC) to pick up their first Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) series win. 

𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏'𝙎 𝘼 𝙎𝙒𝙀𝙀𝙋! 🥎🔥

The Yellow Jackets take the series over CSU Pueblo, 3-1, with a pair of wins today!

An exciting end to Game 4: four runs to tie it in the seventh and the game-winner in the 10th!#ClimbTheHills pic.twitter.com/5F3CXazy4P

— Black Hills State Softball (@BHSUSB) March 2, 2024

 
"The team did well using the momentum from their win yesterday to come in today and secure the series," noted Ashlyn Englehorn, head softball coach. "Game two showed this team's heart. To come back from down four runs in the bottom of the seventh and seal the deal in the tenth inning with great team hitting is definitely something we can take momentum from!"
 
GAME 3: BHSU 7, CSUP 0
 
PITCHING DECISIONS:
Win: Shayla Tuschen (3-4)
Loss: McKenna James (3-8)
 
Black Hills State used a pair of big innings to start Day 2 of the series with CSU Pubelo to take the 2-1 series lead with their first shutout win of the season, 7-0.
 
The first scoring barrage came in third inning when the Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 4-0 lead. A pair of RBI singles from Taylor Dowden (Jr., Surprise, Ariz.) and Lily Simmons (So., Frederick, Colo.) made it 2-0, before a two-RBI double to right center from Ashlynn Pauwels (Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.) to double the lead.
 
The fifth inning saw BHSU post three more insurance runs, highlighted by a two-RBI double from Gianna Haley (Gr., Arvada, Colo.) to left center to make it 6-0. Shayla Tuschen (Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.) helped her own cause with a sacrifice fly RBI to make it 7-0.
 
Tuschen was dominant in the circle, going on to pick up her third win this season – and second of the weekend. She pitched the full seven innings, scattering seven hits and allowing no runs. She also punched out a season-high nine Pueblo batters in her first-career shutout.
 
"Shayla dominated Game 3 for us in the circle with her first-career complete game shutout," said Englehorn. "We are super proud of the way she threw today!
 
GAME NOTES

• Shayla Tuschen picks up her first-career shutout win in the circle.
• She also etched a new season-high with nine strike outs in her complete game shutout outing.
• BHSU picks up their first shutout win of the season to start Day 2.
• Ashlynn Pauwels goes 1-for-2 with an two-RBI double in the third inning.
• Gianna Haley also picks up a two-RBI double herself in the fifth inning.
• Alyssa Wong and Gianna Haley both tally a pair of hits the win
• For Wong, it marks her fifth multi-hit game of the season and third for Haley.

GAME 4: BHSU 6, CSUP 5 (F/10)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS:
Win: Laci Peskey (2-5)
Loss: McKenna James (3-9)
 
The series finale was an exciting one on Senior Day as the no-quit attitude of the Yellow Jackets was on full display.
 
Haley would belt her first home run of the season in the first inning to draw even with the Thunderwolves, making it 1-1 after one inning of play.
 
Between the fourth and seventh innings, Pueblo would put up four runs to lead 5-1.
 
Trailing by four entering the bottom of the seventh – the magic would soon begin. The first three Jackets reached base safely to load the bases, thanks to a pair of singles and a Pueblo error. The scoring would start with a Simmons RBI single up the middle to cut the lead down to 5-3 with a pair of runs. Another single, and a CSUP error, would plate two more runs as BHSU pulled even at 5-5. With the winning run still in scoring position, BH would be unable to push it across and to extra innings the game went.
 
After two scoreless frames, the scene would be set in the 10^th inning. Haley started the frame with a single to right center. A Tyler Whitlock (Jr., Erie, Colo.) sacrifice bunt would put Haley in scoring position and Audrey Fouras (So., Jackson, Wyo.) would be the hero with a double down the left field line to push across the winning run as BHSU came back to win 6-5.
 
"I'm incredibly proud of Laci and the way she put the team on her back in extra innings," commented Englehorn. "She got out of a couple of jams and threw with confidence all game!"
 
GAME NOTES

• Kayla Lee finishes the series on a seven-game hit streak, picking up a hit in each game of the season.
• The power of the Yellow Jacket bats came on display in the series finale with five extra base hits.
• Gianna Haley hit her first home run of the season in Game 4, marking her 10^th in her Yellow Jacket career.
• Ashlynn Pauwels, Taylor Klein, and Audrey Fouras all picked up doubles in the series clinching win.
• After the series, Alyssa Wong now leads the team with her six multi-hit games.
• BH tallied a pair of stolen bases in the win, jumping up to third in the RMAC in the category now with 31 (31-for-34).  
• Game 4 marked the first extra innings game of the season for the Yellow Jackets, improving to 1-0 on the season in extra inning games.
• In back-to-back days, Laci Peskey notched a win in the circle as she tossed a career-high, complete-game 10-inning victory.
• In the outing, she picked up three strike outs and faced 45 Pueblo hitters.

Up Next: Black Hills State will welcome the Grizzlies of Adams State University to Yellow Jacket Field next weekend for a four-game set on Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10