MINOT, N.D.- The Yellow Jackets got their first win of the season in game two today as they split with the UMary Marauders for the second year in a row at the 2026 Bubble Invitational. The second game, BHSU scored 11 runs on 12 hits in game two and only walked five batters. In game one, BHSU offered nine free passes and had only four runs on eight hits. The Yellow Jackets were led by the top of their lineup with Carly Reyes Mims, Sammie Kaufman-Warner, and Desi Hernandez combining for 9-20 (.450), nine RBIs, six runs scored and only one strikeout.

QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score:  Black Hills State 4, UMary
Team Records: Black Hills State 0-1 (0-0 RMAC), UMary 1-0 (0-0 RMAC)
Pitching Decision: Win: Johnson (1-0), Loss: Honse (0-1)
Attendance: 40

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• After the Yellow Jackets grounded into a double play to end the top of the first inning, UMary started off the game hot. Kaitlyn McLaughlin walked then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Ariana Retuta hit a single to score McLaughlin and then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Madison Hunter walked, Janelle Bergmann flew out to advance Retuta to third and then Retuta scored on a wild pitch to give Mary a 2-0 lead through one inning. 
• After the Marauders got out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the second, Bree Waldron started off the second inning with a double. This double was followed by two straight walks to load the bases and then Dakota Poag replaced Sophia Honse with the bases loaded. Poag walked McLaughlin to score a run and then another run came in on an error that left everyone safe. Poag got the runner at third out on a fielder's choice, and then BHSU got the next runner on third out on a caught stealing when McLaughlin tried to take home on a wild pitch. Poag would then walk the next two batters to score another run and make the score 5-0 before striking out the final batter to get out of the inning.
• Carly Reyes Mims led off the third with a walk and then advanced to both second and third base on a groundout. A Caylee Mann single scored Mims, which brought the score to 5-1 heading into the bottom of the third.
• No one scored for the next 1.5 innings, which brought us to the top of the fifth. Reyes Mims was hit by a pitch and then scored on a double by Sammie Kaufman-Warner, who then was thrown out at third trying to stretch a double into a triple. Hernandez answered with a solo home run to make the score 5-3 before the next two batters grounded out.
• Alyssa Wong walked to begin the sixth inning. She advanced to second on a single by Audrey Fouras. Anna Gietzen sacrifice bunted the runners up a base. Lily Simmons singled to load the bases with Carly Reyes Mims singling to score Wong and cut the lead to one at 5-4. No other runs were able to score that inning as BHSU still trailed by one. UMary did answer though. Jenel Mallari walked to begin the bottom half of the inning. She advanced to third on two groundouts while Hunter ended up on second after reaching on a fielder's choice and advancing on a groundout. Bergmann also reached on a fielder's choice and scored Mallari to give UMary a 6-4 lead, which is where the game ended as the Marauders took the win.

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1

• Carly Reyes Mims: 1-2, 1 RBI, 2 runs scored
• Desi Hernandez; 1-4, 1 RBI, HR
• Sammie Kaufman-Warner: 2-4, 1 RBI
• Dakota Poag: 5 IP, 5 Ks, 1 ER

 
QUICK DETAILS- GAME 2
Final Score:  Black Hills State 11, UMary 5
Team Records: Black Hills State 1-1 (0-0 RMAC), UMary 1-1 (0-0 RMAC)
Pitching Decision:  Win: Goodell (1-0), Loss: Verploegen (0-1)
Attendance: 125

HOW IT HAPPENED- GAME 2

• Paige Goodell would start the game for the Yellow Jackets and pitch around a leadoff triple to get it to the bottom of the first. Reyes Mims led off the game with a single, stole second, and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kaufman-Warner reached on a fielder's choice and then stole second. Hernandez grounded out to the pitcher but Reyes Mims still scored and Kaufman-Warner advanced to third. Caylee Mann hit a sacrifice fly to score Kaufman-Warner, which gave BHSU a 2-0 lead.
• In the bottom of the second, Lily Simmons walked with one out and Reyes Mims hit a two-run homer to score both her and Simmons and give BHSU a 4-0 lead.
• Mallari singled to lead off the top of the third with Olivia Gomez reaching on an error by BHSU and getting Mallari to second. McLaughlin hit a single to load the bases and then Retuta hit into a fielder's choice right to Reyes Mims who stepped on third for the out and Mallari ended up scoring to make it 3-1. After a double steal, Goodell walked the next two batters to score McLaughlin and then Bergmann hit a sacrifice fly to score another run and make it 4-3. In the bottom of the inning, BHSU answered the call. Delaney Milanowski singled to begin the bottom half and then Fouras doubled to score Milanowski to make it 5-3. Jessica Melendez got her first career hit and stolen base to make it to second with one out. Simmons reached on an error by the first baseman which scored Fouras and made it 6-3. Melendez then reached home on a double steal attempt that the catcher made a poor throw on. This got the score to 7-3. Reyes Mims hit another RBI double and scored Simmons to give BHSU an 8-3 lead in the third.
• Genevieve Hastings hit a solo home run to lead off the fourth and cut the lead to 8-4.
• Neither team scored in their next trip and in the bottom of the fifth, BHSU kept closing the door. Simmons reached on a fielding error, Reyes Mims hit another double to advance her to third and then Simmons scored on a sacrifice fly by Kaufman-Warner, which made the score 9-4.
• In the top of the sixth, Hastings began it with a single, Gomez walked and then McLaughlin reached on a throwing error to load the bases. Hunter pinch it and walked to score Hastings and cut the lead to 9-5 before Goodell got the next two batters out. Fouras led off the bottom of the sixth to get the lead back to 10-5. Melendez singled and advanced to second when Reyes Mims was hit by pitch. Hernandez singled with two outs to score Reyes Mims and that was the final score of the game as Kaitlyn Geschwill went 1-2-3 in the seventh to give BHSU a 11-5 win
   

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS- GAME 2

• Carly Reyes Mims - 4 for 4, 3 RBIs, HR
• Audrey Fouras- 2 for 4, 2 RBIs
• Jessica Melendez: 2 for 4, 2 runs scored
• Desi Hernandez: 1-for-3, 2 RBIs
• Paige Goodell - 6 IP, 4K, 3 ER

UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets continue their journey in the 2026 Bubble Invitational where they will face the hometown Minot State Beavers tomorrow night at 4 and 6 PM. 
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