SPEARFISH, S.D. — MSU Denver softball battled through a dramatic Sunday split on the road, taking Game One before dropping a wild back-and-forth finale against Black Hills State. The Roadrunners move to 24-10 overall and 17-7 in RMAC play after the doubleheader.
Game One: MSU Denver 6, Black Hills State 4
MSU Denver showed resilience in the opener, scoring late to secure the win after trailing early.
Black Hills State struck first with a three-run homer in the second inning, putting the Roadrunners behind 3-0. The response came in the third when Neila Lucero launched a solo home run to get MSU Denver on the board and shift momentum.
The Roadrunners chipped away from there. In the fourth inning, Victoria Pearson delivered an RBI single to cut the deficit to 3-2. After the Yellow Jackets briefly regained a 4-2 lead in the fifth, MSU Denver answered immediately—Neila Fee tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI single later in the inning.
The turning point came in the sixth. Brooklyn Enny drove in the tying run with an RBI single to make it 4-4, setting the stage for Fee once again. She delivered the biggest swing of the game, ripping a two-RBI double to give MSU Denver a 6-4 lead it would not surrender.
In the circle, Natalie Romero (10-5) was steady, going the distance in a complete-game effort. She allowed four runs on nine hits while striking out two, navigating early trouble before shutting down Black Hills State over the final innings to secure her 10th win of the season.
Offensively, Fee led the charge, going 2-for-2 with three RBIs, while Shay Cwelich paced the lineup with a 3-for-4 performance. Pearson added two hits and an RBI, and Lexi Gephart chipped in a 2-for-3 day with a run scored.
Game Two: Black Hills State 14, MSU Denver 13
Game two turned into a chaotic offensive showdown, featuring multiple momentum swings and a walk-off finish.
MSU Denver came out firing with a six-run first inning. Fee drew a bases-loaded walk to open the scoring, followed by an RBI single from Janessa Esquibel. Shay Cwelich added another run with a bases-loaded walk, Victoria Pearson drove in a run with a single, Lexi Gephart worked yet another bases-loaded walk, and Natalie Shellhorn capped the surge with an RBI single to make it 6-0.
Black Hills State answered with five runs in the bottom half, highlighted by a grand slam that immediately flipped the tone of the game. MSU Denver rebuilt its lead throughout the middle innings, pushing it to 11-5 and later 11-9, but the Yellow Jackets continued to respond.
The biggest turning point came in the sixth inning. Defensive miscues opened the door for Black Hills State, which scored four runs—three of them unearned—to take a 13-11 lead.
The Roadrunners weren't done. In the seventh, they rallied to tie the game at 13-13 on a two-RBI single from Esquibel, capping yet another comeback. However, Black Hills State had the final answer, delivering a walk-off RBI single in the bottom of the inning to hand MSU Denver a tough 14-13 loss.
In the circle, MSU Denver used a trio of pitchers. Kianna Butler got the start but lasted just 0.1 innings, allowing four runs. Samantha Mader followed, tossing 3.1 innings and giving up five runs (four earned) with three strikeouts. Brooklyn Levin (4-1) took the loss, allowing five runs (two earned) over the final 2.2 innings.
Offensively, the Roadrunners piled up 13 runs on 15 hits. Shellhorn led the way, going 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, while Neila Lucero added a 2-for-3 effort with a run, RBI, and a walk. Cheyenne Prieto was a constant presence on the bases, drawing three walks and scoring three times.
Brooklyn Enny finished 2-for-4 with two runs, an RBI, and a walk, while Cwelich added two hits, two RBIs, a walk, and a run in another strong performance.
