SPEARFISH, S.D. – Black Hills State softball won both games of Wednesday’s doubleheader against Northern State, 1-0 and 14-6.
The Yellow Jackets (7-11, 5-11 RMAC) took game one behind an excellent shutout performance from Crystal Amaral, before bringing out the bats in game two to push across 14 runs on 16 hits.
Game One (W, 1-0)
Amaral held NSU hitless over the first two frames and as the game remained scoreless into the fourth.
The Yellow Jackets tallied three hits through the first three innings before pushing a run across in the bottom of the fourth as Shayla Tuschen would score on an error after hitting a double to lead off the inning.
Amaral continued to deal, and one run would be all BHSU would need, as Amaral tossed her first shutout of the season.
Game Two (W, 14-6)
The Yellow Jacket bats came out on fire in the first, using a span of eight-straight hits to take an early 6-0 lead. Later in the first, Bell Luebken ripped a bases-loaded double to the gap to extend the lead to 8-0 before Amaral stepped up to clear the bases with a 3-run home run and give BHSU an 11-0 advantage.
Northern would chip away at their deficit, scoring five over the next two innings to make it an 11-5 ballgame.
An Autumn Porter sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third put the score at 12-5 before another Wolves’ run in the top of the fifth had the Yellow Jackets looking at a 12-6 game going into the bottom of the fifth.
In BHSU’s half of the fifth, Gianna Haley led off with a single to center before a Luebken single and Henricksen walk loaded the bases. That brought up Porter, who lined a single into right center to score Haley and Luebken, and walk the game off with the 8-run rule.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets return remain home for a weekend series against Metro Stats with doubleheaders scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., and Sunday at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.
More information: https://bhsuathletics.com/sports/softball
