SPEARFISH, S.D.- Despite some great late-inning run production from Black Hills State, the Yellow Jackets were unable to pull a win out today, dropping both games against the Mavericks with game one going 10 innings, and the other finishing with 19 total runs. The Green & Gold scored all 13 of their runs today in the fourth inning or later.
QUICK DETAILS – GAME 3
Final Score: Black Hills State 5, Colorado Mesa 6 (10 innings)
Team Records: Black Hills State 27-24 (25-18 RMAC), Colorado Mesa 36-13 (34-9 RMAC)
Pitching Decision: Win: Christensen (12-4), Loss: Coleman (0-6)
Attendance: 276
HOW IT HAPPENED – GAME 3
• Myah Arrieta, who had a quiet day yesterday, started off game one with a double. She would score on a two-out single by Chloe Valdez and take a 1-0 lead.
• In the top of the second, Ava Stephens, Khloe Kubitscheck, and Bella Aragon all hit singles in a row, which scored another run giving the Mavericks a 2-0 lead.
• Olivia Litzen led off the top of the fourth inning with a double and advanced to third on a single from Stephens. She scored on a single from Kubitschek and Aragon hit a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners to second and third. Arrieta would ground into a 1-3-5 double play, but the tag out at third would not be in time to stop Stephens from scoring, which increased the Mavericks lead to 4-0.
• BHSU would get their first hit in the bottom of the fourth inning, when Alyssa Wong hit a single, but the Yellow Jackets wouldn’t score and in the top of the sixth, Stephens would hit a solo home run to make the lead 5-0. In the bottom of the sixth, BHSU’s offense would roar to life. Tyler Whitlock led off the inning with a double. Carly Reyes Mims hit a sacrifice bunt to get her to second and Desi Hernandez hit a single to score Whitlock. Pauwels flew out to left, but a bad throw in by the left fielder allowed Andria Fitch, the pinch runner, to get to second. She would then score on a Wong single that cut the lead to 5-2 headed to the seventh.
• Malaya Coleman got out of the top of the seventh unscathed and Audrey Fouras would begin the bottom of the seventh with a hit by pitch. Katelyn Jarzobski came in to pinch hit and reached on a fielder’s choice that got Fouras out at second. Dowden came back in the game to run and made it to second on a passed ball. She got to third on a Tyler Whitlock single and with two outs in the bottom of the seventh, Reyes Mims hit a massive homer to dead center field to tie the game at 5-5 and send it to extras.
• Colorado Mesa got out of two major jams in both the bottom of the eighth and the bottom of the ninth, before in the top of the tenth, Litzen singled with one out, and her pinch runner, Jackie Oster was forced out at second on a fielder’s choice putting Stephens at first. Kubitscheck singled to put her at third and stole second. Coleman made her first mistake in extras throwing a wild pitch that allowed Stephens to score and giving Mesa the 6-5 lead. The Yellow Jackets were able to get Hernandez to third with one out in the bottom of the tenth but could not bring her home and lost 6-5.
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS – GAME 3
• Alyssa Wong: 2-for-2, RBI, 2 BB, SB
• Carly Reyes Mims: 1-for-4. 3 RBIs, Run, HR
• Tyler Whitlock: 2-for-4, 2 runs, 2B
• Malaya Coleman: 10 IP, 6 ERs, K, L
QUICK DETAILS- GAME 4
Final Score: Black Hills State 8, Colorado Mesa 12
Team Records: Black Hills State 27-25 (25-19 RMAC), Colorado Mesa 37-13 (35-9 RMAC)
Pitching Decision: Win: Nehm (3-2), Loss: Hoff (3-6)
Attendance: 243
HOW IT HAPPENED- GAME 4
• Arietta once again got on base to start the game hitting a single and then making it to second on a bloop hit by Cailynn Parsons. Ally Distler hit a sacrifice bunt to advance both runners and Valdez hit a sacrifice fly to score Arietta giving CMU the early 1-0 lead.
• That lead ballooned in the second when Kubitscheck, Makayla Westmoreland, and Aragon all hit back-to-back-to-back one-out singles to score one. Arrieta reached on an error, which allowed Westmoreland to score. Parsons singled which scored Aragon. Distler was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Valdez reached on another error, which scored two more runs making it 6-0. Litzen hit a sacrifice fly to make it 7-0 after Paige Goodell had replaced Caitlyn Hoff as pitcher before Goodell ended the long inning.
• Mesa continued to pile on in the top of the third when Goodell walked Westmoreland to start the inning. She then allowed a double to Aragon, a single to Arietta, and a double to Parsons. The Arietta single scored two runs, and the Parsons double put runners on second and third with no outs. Skylar Bedlan entered the game and Distler reached on an infield single that loaded the bases. Bedlan walked Valdez to score a run. Litzen hit a sac fly to score another and make the score 11-0, before Bedlan got the next two batters out to end the inning.
• BHSU got their first hit in the bottom of the third, but didn’t get their first real scoring opportunity until the fourth. Wong started the inning with a single and stole second base. Carli Maley walked with two outs and Taylor Dowden hit a three-run home run to cut the lead to 11-3.
• BHSU had their first 1-2-3 inning of the day in the top of the fifth behind great pitching from Bedlan. In the bottom of the fifth, Ashlynn Pauwels hit a one-out single and Wong reached base on a bad throw by the second basemen, who was trying to get the double play. Fouras hit a double that scored Wong, advanced to third on the throw home that went over the catcher’s head and then scored when the catcher made a bad throw trying to throw her out at third, which cut the lead to 11-5.
• BHSU continued to stage their comeback attempt when with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, Whitlock singled and Reyes Mims hit a two-run home run to cut the lead to four at 11-7.
• Bedlan made her first mistake of the day allowing a double to Arrieta and then a single to Parsons to increase the lead to 12-7. She then got the next two batters out, and Adrianna Lance made a great throw to third to nail Parsons trying to steal. In the bottom of the seventh, Jessalyn Gallegos, who was now pitching walked two of the first three batters and then was replaced by Preslee Christensen. Christensen allowed a double to Lance, which scored Wong, cutting the lead to 12-8 and putting two runners on second and third. Christensen got the next two batters out to end the game and BHSU’s crazy comeback attempt.
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS- GAME 4
• Carly Reyes Mims: 2-for-4, 2 RBIs, Run, 2B, HR
• Audrey Fouras: 1-for-3, 2 RBIs, Run, BB
• Alyssa Wong: 1-for-3, 3 runs, BB
• Taylor Dowden: 1-for-4, 3 RBIs, Run, HR
• Skylar Bedlan: 5 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets are headed to the RMAC Tournament. Due to a lot of seeding changes with the results of today, the RMAC Tournament’s date, time, opponent, and location are still to be determined.
