STURGIS, SD – Despite leading by as many as six runs, the Sturgis girls softball team fell to the Rapid City Stevens Raiders 20-11 at the Fort Meade softball complex on Tuesday night.

The Scooper fans honored their three seniors, Carsyn Anderson, Jayna Johnston and Kierra Killinger before the game with pictures and mementos.

The Raiders got on the scoreboard first as Audrinna Colhoff blasted a two-run home run to center field to put Stevens up 2-0 in the top of the first.

A three-run home run to right field by Carsyn Anderson gave the Scoopers the lead, 3-2, in the bottom half of the first.

The Raiders took back the lead, 5-3, in the top of the second when Olivia Phelps doubled, scoring one run, and Kara Collins singled, scoring two runs.

Sturgis flipped the game on its head in the bottom of the third, when Jayna Johnston blasted a three-run homer to left field, giving the Scoopers much needed momentum. Sturgis plated seven runs on five hits to take the lead, 11-5. Stevens pulled their starting pitcher Kara Collins with no outs and replaced her with Colhoff, which proved to be a pivotal move by Stevens head coach Jeremy Colhoff. 

Stevens began to chip away at the Scooper lead in the middle innings, scoring two in the fourth inning, one in the fifth and three more in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 11 runs apiece.

Stevens blew the game open in the top of the seventh, scoring nine runs on eight hits to take the lead, 20-11. The Scoopers put two on base in the bottom half of the seventh but couldn’t mount a comeback and lost their second game to the Raiders this season. 

Colhoff earned the pitching win, holding the Scoopers scoreless through the final four innings, giving up four hits and striking out seven.

Jayna Johnston started in the circle for Sturgis and took the loss, giving up 18 hits and 19 runs (17 earned) over six and two-thirds innings, striking out five and walking four.

Sturgis had 12 hits in the game and were led by Addilynn Kraft, Hannah Welke, and Avery Anderson, who each collected two hits for the Scoopers. Johnston and Anderson each drove in three runs. Johnston, Carsyn Anderson and Tylee Bestgen had home runs for Sturgis. 

Allison Larson-Dike led Stevens, going 3-for-3 with four runs batted in, including two home runs. Colhoff and Bristol Mehrer also added dingers for the Raiders, who remained unbeaten at 10-0 on the season. 

Sturgis (4-5) welcomes the Sioux Falls Lincoln Patriots and the Sioux Falls Jefferson Cavaliers for games at the Fort Meade fields on Thursday.