DENVER, COLO.- MSU Denver's offense was too much for BHSU to overcome as the Roadrunners scored 21 runs on the way to sweeping BHSU on day one of the series. The Yellow Jackets were not able to hold a big lead in game two and despite coming back and tying it late, MSU Denver hit a late three-run homer to secure the win. Laci Peskey was able to break the program's single season record for strikeouts in the first inning of game one.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score:  Black Hills State 1, MSU Denver 9
Team Records: Black Hills State 18-11 (16-5 RMAC), MSU Denver 22-7 (10-3 RMAC)
Pitching Decision:  Win: Romero (9-2), Loss: Peskey (14-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1
•    We had a pitcher's duel up until the fourth inning, with neither pitcher giving much. However, Peskey allowed a triple to Jenna Medhus to begin the inning, she immediately scored when MSU Denver hit back-to-back singles. After a flyout moved both runners to second and third, Hannah DiFabio hit the second triple of the inning to clear the bases and give MSU Denver a 3-0 lead. Katie Maney singled her home and that ended the fourth with MSU Denver taking a 4-0 lead. 
•    BHSU answered with a run of their own in the fifth, when Carly Reyes Mims singled and Tyler Whitlock reached on an error. Alyssa Wong laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners, before Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to score Reyes Mims and cut the MSUD lead to three. That didn't last long as Medhus singled with one out in the bottom of the inning. She advanced to second on a wild pitch, advanced to third on  a lineout, and scored on a Brooklyn Enny single.
•    MSU Denver ended it in the sixth when Genevieve Bower hit a lead-off home run to increase the lead to 6-1. DiFabio doubled and Trish Leins doubled her home to make it 7-1. Malaya Coleman came in the game and Jaiden Geist singled to score the pinch-running Alexia Boring, and then Coleman allowed another single to Medhus and walked the pinch hitter Cheyenne Prieto to load the bases. Brooklyn Enny walked with the bases loaded to end the game at 9-1 in the sixth. It was the first time BHSU has been run-ruled this year. Peskey did officially break the single season record for strikeouts with her strikeout in the first inning.

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1
•    Carly Reyes Mims,: 1-for-1, 1 Run
•    Desi Hernandez: 0-for-3, 1 RBI

QUICK DETAILS- GAME 2
Final Score:  Black Hills State 8, MSU Denver 12
Team Records: Black Hills State 18-12 (16-6 RMAC), Chadron State 23-7 (11-3 RMAC)
Pitching Decision:  Win: Prieto (7-2), Loss: Coleman (0-3)

HOW IT HAPPENED- GAME 2
•     Wong walked with one out in the first inning and Ashlynn Pauwels, with two outs, hit a home run to give BHSU an early 2-0 lead.
•    After MSUD went 1-2-3 in the first, Lily Simmons singled and advanced on a wild pitch. She went to third on a sacrifice bunt by Carli Maley and scored on a wild pitch to give BHSU a 3-0 lead.  Audrey Fouras walked, and Reyes Mims hit an RBI double to score her. Whitlock singled to get her to third and after Prieto entered to pitch for Medhus, she went to second on a passed ball. Wong was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Hernandez reached on an error by the center fielder to score Reyes Mims and Whitlock, which gave BHSU a 6-0 lead early.
•    The bottom of the second did not go well for the Yellow Jackets. Boring walked with one out and Miki Berg reached on an error by Fouras to advance her to second. Aaliyah Arellano hit a double to score both runs and cut the lead to 6-2. Natalie Shellhorn walked and DiFabio hit a double to score both runners and cut the lead to 6-4. Maney singled to score DiFabio and Prieto double to score Maney and tie the game at 6-6.
•    After no runs were scored in the third or the fourth, Geist led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo homer to give MSUD a 7-6 lead. Bower was hit by a pitch and her pinch runner, Lexi Gephart, stole second. Berg doubled her to third and she reached home on an errant throw from Simmons that allowed Leins to reach. MSUD had an 8-6 lead heading into the sixth inning.
•    Wong and Pauwels each doubled in the sixth to score Wong and cut the lead to one. Dowden singled Pauwels to third and Maley singled her home to send it to the bottom half tied at 8. 
•    Maney and Geist each hit singles, which put them on first and third with one out. Bower hit a bunt that Pauwels made a great play on but Maley couldn't hold on to the ball and Maney scored to give MSUD a 9-8 lead with runners still on first and third. Boring hit a three-run homer to basically seal the game giving MSUD the sweep with a score of 12-8.

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS- GAME 2
•    Ashlynn Pauwels: 2-for-4, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, HR
•    Carli Maley: 3-for-3, 1 RBI
•    Carly Reyes Mims: 2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 run

UP NEXT
BHSU continues their series versus MSU Denver as they play at 11 and 1 MST Sunday. They will look to try to not lose their first series of the season.
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