THORNTON, Colo. – The Black Hills State University softball team (10-16, 9-12 RMAC) concluded the four-game set the with Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) leading Mavericks of Colorado Mesa University (23-7, 21-3) on a sunny and clear day in Thornton, Colorado.
 
GAME 3: CMU 19, BHSU 4 (F/5)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS:
Win: Preslee Christiansen (7-3)
Loss: Shayla Tuschen (5-6)
 
Colorado Mesa struck first in Game 3 with a home run to straightaway center field, giving them a 1-0 lead after the first half inning. Lily Simmons (So., Frederick, Colo.) started the bottom half with a bunt single that squeezed past the third baseman, putting the lead-off Jacket on base. Despite putting her in scoring position, Mesa would work out of it to maintain their 1-0 lead through one.
 
The Mavericks added to their lead with a lead-off home run to start the second inning. The Mavericks would break it open with eight runs in the frame, jumping out to the 9-0 lead. However, only three of the runs scored would be credited as earned runs in the inning.
 
Black Hills State worked back-to-back walks to start the bottom of the second. Following a pair of outs, a quality at-bat from Taylor Dowden (Jr., Surprise, Ariz.) ended with her working a walk to load the bases. Simmons worked all the way back to work the fourth Yellow Jacket run of the day to push across the first BH run, making it 9-1.
 
In the third inning, a pair of Black Hills State home runs from Ashlynn Pauwels (Jr., Tallahassee, Fla.) and Audrey Fouras (So., Jackson, Wyo.) would cut the deficit to 13-4. But the Mavericks would respond with a 2-run home run to get the runs back. After full four innings of play, Mesa would lead it 15-4.
 
The Mavericks would take Game 3, and the series, by the score of 19-4 in five innings.
 
GAME NOTES

• Audrey Fouras (4) and Ashlynn Pauwels (3) both hit home runs in Game 3, bringing the team's total up to eight on the season.
• Fouras' four home runs leads the team this season.
• Malaya Coleman works a pair of walks in the contest and scores two of the team's four runs.
• Four different Yellow Jackets record a hit in the game.
• Fouras tallies her second multi-RBI game of the season with her team-high two RBIs in the effort.
• As a team, BH worked more walks (5) than they had strike outs (4).

 
GAME 4: CMU 10, BHSU 2 (F/6)
 
PITCHING DECISIONS:
Win: Hannah Sattler (5-2)
Loss: Laci Peskey (4-8)
 
The Yellow Jackets got on the board first in the series finale thanks to an RBI single from Pauwels, scoring Simmons who reached on a lead-off bunt single.
 
Getting the nod in the circle for Game 4, Laci Peskey (Fr., Waller, Texas) found herself in a bit of a jam with two runners in scoring position with just one away in the second. She would work a pair of fly outs to keep the high-powered Maverick offense off the board through two innings.
 
The Mavericks would get the tying run to third in the third, but Peskey came up with a huge punch out to keep it a 1-0 Yellow Jacket lead.
 
It's hard to keep one of the most explosive offenses off the board as Colorado Mesa finally broke through with a two-run home run in the fourth inning to take a 2-1 lead. They'd add a second two-run homer later in the frame, pushing their lead up to 4-1.
 
Mesa would use their 10^th long ball of the day to open a 5-1 lead in the fifth inning. Black Hills State would get a run back themselves in the bottom half, aided by a defensive miscue by the Mavericks. CMU would head to the sixth inning with a 5-2 lead.
 
The Mavericks posted five more runs in the top of the sixth inning to enforce the run-rule, taking Game 4 with the final score of 10-2 in six innings.
 
GAME NOTES

• Ashlynn Pauwels picks up the lone RBI for the Yellow Jackets on the day
• Shayla Tuschen and Tyler Whitlock both record doubles in Game 4 this afternoon.
• Kayla Lee goes 2-for-2 in the series finale, recording her seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Lee also ends the weekend on a six-game hit streak, one away from tying her season best (7).

Up Next: Black Hills State is slated to host the Orediggers of Colorado Mines next week in a Thursday-Friday series with Easter weekend being next week. The schedule is subject to change due to weather in Spearfish in March.