SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Regis University softball team earned the sweep defeating the Black Hills State Yellow Jackets (5-35, 3-29 RMAC) 4-0 and 8-4 in the final regular season road series. Throughout the four-game series sweep, Regis outscored the opponent by a total of 24-5.
 
Several Rangers provided offensive support that saw seven different players record RBIs as RU produced 18 hits between the two games.
 
How It Happened | Game 1: The Rangers recorded their second shutout of the series holding the Yellow Jackets scoreless through seven innings. The first two offensive innings for Regis retired batters in order.
 
RU tallied their first hits of the game in the top of the third to take a 2-0 lead. Emily John singled to left center to score Macy Cox, who drew a walk and stole second, for the first run. John advanced to second when Bradey King was hit by pitch and Carlie Sexton drove John home on a single up the middle.
 
Alyssa Finger made it 3-0 in the top of the fourth notching an RBI on a single of her own up the middle. In the top of the sixth, Logan Losh drove one more run across the plate on another single to seal the third win of the series for RU.
 
Game Notes: The Rangers were efficient scoring four runs on six hits with four different players each tallying an RBI. RU gave up five hits and forced BHSU to leave six runners stranded. John led throughout the game going 3-for-4 in the leadoff position with one run and an RBI. Regis recorded five stolen bases to the Yellow Jackets none. Losh earned her 21^st win and seventh shutout pitching in all seven innings. Losh recorded six strikeouts on 27 batters faced while giving up just one walk.
 
How It Happened | Game 2: Once again, Regis was the first to strike in the top of the second when Taylor Armitage scored Melissa Heronema, who reached on error by the first baseman. Cox made it 2-0 stealing third and taking advantage of a throwing error by the catcher.
 
Black Hills State scored just their second run of the entire series in the bottom of the second to come within one, 2-1. The home team found some offensive momentum in the bottom of the third bringing three across on four hits to take their largest lead of the series, 4-2.
 
Ca. Sexton tallied her 11^th double of the season in the top of the fifth to close the gap on BHSU, 4-3. Regis regained control of the lead as the bats hit a stride in the top of the sixth.
 
Laura Scheffel started things off with a double to right field. On two outs, King hit just her second home run on the year scoring Scheffel and giving the lead back to the Rangers, 5-4. With bases loaded, still on two outs, Heronema notched an RBI on a single to the shortstop that scored Ca. Sexton. RU gave themselves a 6-4 lead headed into the final inning.
 
John recorded the sacrifice in the top of the seventh that scored Finger, who reached on a leadoff single. In the very next at bat, King laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Scheffel and extend the Rangers lead to 8-4.
 
Game Notes: Ca. Sexton hit her 48^th career double putting her just one away from tying the all-time record at 49. Losh came into the game in the third inning with one out to pitch in 4.2 innings. Losh allowed no runs on just one hit. She earned the win making that 22 thus far this season, the most from an RU pitcher since 2002. Losh also struck out four batters on 16 faced. Lauren Hernandez led the Rangers offensively going 3-for-4 at the plate with one stolen base while King added a team-high three RBIs on 2-for-4. Regis outhit BHSU 12-10 while leaving 10 runners on base. The Rangers recorded six stolen bases holding the Yellow Jackets to none.
 
Up Next For The Rangers: RU returns to Denver for their final home series of the regular season hosting New Mexico Highlands on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30. Game times on Saturday are set for 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. and Sunday for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.