SPEARFISH, S.D.- For the first time since 2022, the Yellow Jackets defeated the MSU Denver Roadrunners in a game. They then followed it up with winning back-to-back games, which is the first time the Jackets have done that in program history. BHSU earned it's wins in large part due to it's offense taking down the star pitchers for MSUD. BHSU held off two late rally's by the Roadrunners to pull wins in both games including Audrey Fouras hitting a walk-off double to win game one. Desi Hernandez was almost perfect today. She went 3-for-5 (.600) with five RBIs, a home run, a triple, and two runs scored today.
 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 1
Final Score:  Black Hills State 6, MSU Denver 5
Team Records: Black Hills State 17-15 (14-7 RMAC), MSU Denver 23-8 (16-5 RMAC)
Pitching Decision: Win: Geschwill (9-5), Loss: Romero (9-5)
Attendance: 261

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 1

• This game started with scoring early as Neila Lucero reached on a one-out fielding error in the top of the first, that was immediately followed by one of the nation's best players Cheyenne Prieto hitting a two-run homer to put MSUD up early. In the bottom of the first inning, Carly Reyes Mims hit a soft single to get on base and advanced to second when Jessica Melendez reached on a fielding error. She was thrown out at second on a fielder's choice that got Reyes Mims to third before Desi Hernandez hit a sacrifice fly to score her and make it 2-1.
• Black Hills State made a big push in the bottom of the third inning, when Reyes Mims singled to leadoff the inning and stole second with one out to put her in scoring position. Sammie Kaufman-Warner tied the game with an RBI single that scored Reyes Mims and then she advanced to second on the throw. That advancement didn't matter too much as Desi Hernandez crushed the 0-1 pitch to deep left center to score two more runs and give BHSU the 4-2 lead.
• BHSU added on in the bottom of the fifth inning when Kaufman-Warner hit a one-out single. She then scored on a two-out double by Caylee Mann to put BHSU up 5-2.
• MSUD started their rallying in the top of the sixth with two outs when Trinity Kennemer pinch hit and singled. Lexi Gephart came back in to pinch run for her and stole second base. She then scored on a single by Victoria Pearson before Pearson was caught stealing second to end the inning.
• In the top of the seventh, Lucero started the inning off with a deep double, the Jackets pitched around Prieto to put two runners on. Janessa Esquibel pinch hit and singled to score Lucero and make it 5-4 BHSU. Shay Cwelich reached on a fielding error to load the bases and Mackenzie Pearson hit a sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5-5. Kaitlyn Geschwill got the third out on a fly out, but the game would now continue.
• In the bottom of the seventh, Hernandez was hit by a pitch with one out Gietzen pinch ran for her and was thrown out at second a fielder's choice. Alyssa Wong hit a hard single off the pitcher's leg to advance Caylee Mann to second and Audrey Fouras played hero with a deep double to left center that scored Gracie Oswald to win the game 6-5.

 
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 1

• Audrey Fouras, 1-for-3, RBI, Walk-Off Double
• Desi Hernandez: 1-for-2, 3 RBIs, HR
• Sammie Kaufman-Warner: 2-for-4, RBI, 2 runs scored
• Kaitlyn Geschwill: 7 IP, 4 ER, 4 K, W

 
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 2
Final Score:  Black Hills State 11, MSU Denver 9
Team Records: Black Hills State 18-15 (15-7 RMAC), MSU Denver 23-9 (16-6 RMAC)
Pitching Decision: Win: Honse (5-1), Loss: Butler (7-2)
Attendance: 259

HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 2

• Black Hills State held MSU Denver off the board in the first inning and then in the bottom of the first, Carly Reyes Mims led off the half inning with a hit by pitch and then stole second with one out. She singled on a two-out RBI single by Hernandez to put BHSU up 1-0.
• In the top of the second, Esquibel singled down the line to get on base and was out on a fielder's choice at second. Pearson was hit by a pitch and Lexi Gephart hit a really soft infield single to load the bases. Natalie Shellhorn hit a single to score two runs and give MSU Denver a 2-1 lead before a double play ended the inning.
• In the bottom of the second, Carli Maley doubled to begin the inning and immediately scored when Fouras continued her hot day with a  two-run homer to put BHSU back up 3-2. With two outs in the inning, Reyes Mims singled and stole second before scoring on a triple by Alyssa Wong to increase the lead to 4-2.
• In the top of the third, the first two batters reached on errors by the BHSU infield and both advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt. Esquibel came up and hit a two-run single to tie the game at 4-4. Another single by Cwelich but her in scoring position, but two straight groundouts ended the inning
• After BHSU didn't score in the bottom half, the Roadrunners came out for the top of the fourth and Lucero reached on a fielding error with one out, Prieto singled to advance Lucero to third and Brooklyn Enny hit an infield single to load the bases. Kennemer hit a sacrifice fly to give MSU Denver the lead at 5-4 and a groundout ended the inning.
• The Yellow Jackets finally broke it even more open in the bottom of the fourth when Brooklyn Theiler walked, stole second base, and made it to third on a wild pitch. Lily Simmons walked and stole second base as Brooklyn Levin took over for Kianna Butler at pitcher. Carly Reyes Mims hit a soft roller back to the pitcher in which Theiler was too fast and beat the throw home to put runners on first and third and tie the game at 5-5. Reyes Mims stole second and scored on an RBI double from Kaufman-Warner to make it 7-5. Hernandez walked and they both scored on a deep double by Caylee Mann to make it 9-5. Maley singled to score Mann as BHSU took a 10-5 lead going into the fifth inning.
• No runs scored in the entire fifth inning, and in the top of the fifth, Prieto singled to leadoff the inning. Enny immediately grounded into a double-play to take runners off base and Kennemer continued her major damage by hitting a solo home run to make it 10-6. MSUD got the next two runners on before Dakota Poag, who had taken Sophia Honse's place struck the next out looking to end the half-innning. In the bottom of the sixth, Wong walked and scored on a one-out triple by Hernandez to put BHSU up five again at 11-6.
• In the top of the seventh, Poag walked Gephart, who then reached second on a wild pitch and walked Shellhorn. This led to Lucero hitting a three-run home run to put MSU Denver within two at 11-9 with no outs. Honse came back in and allowed a soft single to Prieto. She then got Enny to ground into her second double-play of the game and got Kennemer to fly out to deep center field to end the game and give BHSU the 11-9 win a day sweep.

BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 2

• Desi Hernandez: 2-for-3, 2 RBI, 3B
• Audrey Fouras: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, HR
• Caylee Mann: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2B
• Sammie Kaufman-Warner: 1-for-3, 2 RBI, 2B
• Carli Maley: 2-for-4, RBI, run scored

 
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets will now have a chance to continue to do what has never been done and beat the Roadrunners in a season-series only needing one win tomorrow to do so. The Yellow Jackets even have a chance to sweep the series.
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