DENVER, Colo. –The Regis University softball team picked up the series sweep over Black Hills State University on Monday afternoon to improve to 31-17 overall and 28-10 in conference play.
 
The two victories ensure Regis of no less than the fourth-seed at the upcoming RMAC Conference Tournament, which takes the league's top eight teams.
 
The Rangers finished the home portion their schedule with a 21-3 record. It is the best mark at the Regis Softball Field since 2012, when RU went 14-4
 
How It Happened | Game 1: Losh held the Yellow Jackets to one hit and the Rangers provided three home runs as they locked up a 9-0 victory in five innings.
 
The only hit for BHSU came to the game's leadoff hitter and Losh went on to retire the game's final 15 batters. She was effective throughout the day, striking out five, recording four fly outs, and inducing six ground ball outs. 
 
Regis showed off its offensive power with Ana Apodaca, Brianna Benoit and Jaiden Johnson each hitting two-run homers to help RU build a 7-0 lead after two innings. It is the fifth time this season that the Rangers have hit three home runs in a game. Two additional runs came in the third for RU.
 
Losh allowed just one hit in 10 innings against BHSU in the series. She totaled 10 strikeouts and allowed only four base runners. She is 17-7 in the circle for RU this season.
 
Game Notes: Johnson slugged her team-leading ninth home run of the season. Benoit's homer was the first of the year. Johnson and Apodaca each had two hits and two runs for RU. Michelle Larose stole two bases as a pinch runner.  The eight-run rule enforced in the fifth inning was the third-straight against BHSU.
 
 
How It Happened | Game 2: The Rangers scored all of their runs in the first inning and relied on a second-straight gem from pitcher Taylor Armitage to earn the series sweep.
 
Johnson led off the game for the Rangers with a double and came around to score on Tori Brown's double to right center. Brown would eventually score on a groundout by Apodaca to put RU up 2-0.
 
Armitage, coming off a two-hit start against the Yellow Jackets on Sunday, posted a career-high eight strikeouts as she worked around seven hits. 
 
BHSU finally broke through for their first run of the series in top of the sixth inning to reduce the Regis lead to one. Armitage went on to retire the next six batters to put the four-game series sweep in the books for the Rangers.
 
The sophomore pitcher went 12 innings, allowed nine hits and one earned run in her two starts of the series.
 
In her return to the lineup, Johnson led the Rangers offensively throughout the series going 8-for-11, hitting two home runs, driving in seven and scoring five runs.
 
Game Notes: Heronema was caught stealing for just the second time of the season. Brown, Hernandez and Heronema each had two hits for the Rangers. 
 
Next Up For The Rangers: The Rangers will travel to New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, N.M. for the final series of the regular season. The four-game series, played over two doubleheaders, begins at noon on Saturday.