Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 GOLDEN, Colo. - Black Hills State took the series opener before Colorado School of Mines' offense awoke in the afternoon to split their Saturday doubleheader.

BHSU used a go-ahead run in the seventh to win game one 3-2, but Mines bashed 11 hits and used a five-run second inning to win game two 8-3.

Kara Jones and Megan Dickson drove in Mines' runs in the opener with Clara Larson and Katie Leiker driving in two each in game two. Hallie Smith improved to 6-4 this season with a five-strikeout performance in the late game.

GAME 1 - Black Hills State 3, Mines 2
A go-ahead double by Kindall Bethke in the seventh inning spoiled Mines' comeback attempt as Black Hills State held on to win 3-2.

The game was a pitchers' duel between Claire Stringfellow and Melissa Gellermann as the two took shutouts into the sixth. It was BHSU that struck first as an error-extended inning resulted in two runs on a Samantha Gill single and Bryce Henricksen sacrifice fly. Mines immediately responded with back-to-back doubles by Clara Larson and Kara Jones and an RBI single from Megan Dickson tied it up 2-2 in the sixth. 

The Yellow Jackets did enough in the seventh to win it as Katelyn Odle and Bethke smacked consecutive doubles to start the inning and take the lead. In the bottom half, Brielle Asato managed to reach but Mines stranded her on first.

Stringfellow battled all game and worked out two bases-loaded jams as BHSU stranded nine in the game. She took no decision with three strikeouts as Kylie Redding (0-1) threw the final two innings. Gellermann (2-7) allowed eight hits and struck out six in the win.

GAME 2 - Mines 8, Black Hills State 3
Seven runs over the first two innings proved to be plenty for Mines as their bats awoke in an 8-3 win in game two.

Hallie Smith improved to 6-4 tossing a five-strikeout complete game. Sonoma Toot went 3-for-4 with two runs at the plate while Clara Larson, Katie Leiker, and Pua Fujinaga each had two-hit games.

Mines put two across on an error in the first as Larson stole second and the throw caromed into the outfield, allowing her and Toot to score and take an early 2-0 lead. Mines then busted it open in the second with five runs, with Toot singling in Fujinaga, Larson darting a single down the line to score Brielle Asato and Dani Valerio, and Leiker tripling off the fence in center to plate Larson and Toot. 

Black Hills State got three runs back in the third on RBI from Bryce Henricksen, Bethke, and London, but another BHSU error gave Mines an insurance run in the fifth as Leiker scored on Fujinaga's at-bat.

Smith was shut-down to end the game, retiring 12 of her last 14 faced. BHSU combined three pitchers with Alex Wiley (1-5) taking the loss and departing in the second; Paige McGuire finished the inning and Melissa Gellermann finished the game with three strikeouts over four innings.

NEXT UP
Mines and BHSU play again Sunday with a 10 a.m. start time.