HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Softball team put up plenty of hits, but couldn't translate the contact into runs as they dropped a pair of Thursday games to Bismarck State at Station Bank Field.

GAME ONE: Bismarck State 7 - Carroll 6 (8 Innings)

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The Fighting Saints (5-7) battled back from a pair of deficits, but couldn't come up with a clutch hit in the eighth, as they dropped their first extra inning game of the season 7-6.

Kennedy Venner (Billings, Mont. / SR) was given the nod in the circle for the Frontier Opener, and found herself in a sticky situation early. The Mystics managed to land their first three batters of the day on base, and Venner was forced to work her way out of an early bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the first. A groundout, strikeout, and a pop-up later, Carroll's ace got out of the jam.

Bismarck State got another bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the second, and translated it into the game's first run. A two-out walk allowed the first run to cross, but Venner punched-out the following batter to escape the frame with minimal damage.

Things remained relatively quiet until the fifth inning.

A walk, error, and single by Kati Slater (Yamhill, Ore. / SR) loaded the bags for the Saints, leading to a tough at-bat for Brynn Notbohm (Miles City, Mont. / SO). Notbohm battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a bases-loaded walk of her own, knotting things up at 1-1. Tayelynn Puyleart (Meridian, Idaho / FR) gave Carroll a lead with a sac-fly to left, and then Brooke Thompson (Billings, Mont. / JR) and Sammie Labrum (Kalispell, Mont. / SR) recorded back-to-back first pitch RBI singles to give the Saints a 4-1 lead heading to the bottom half of the inning.

Four hits in the bottom of the fifth translated to three more runs for Bismarck State, as the Mystics answered the call and tied the game up at 4-4 heading into the sixth.

The Mystics knocked Venner out of the game in the sixth inning following a leadoff double, and continued to come up with timely hits to add another pair of runs to the board. Venner's final line ended at 5.0 innings, allowing five earned on seven hits with seven strikeouts and five walks.

Down to their final three outs, the Saints responded. Madison Walker (Ridgefield, Wash. / JR) drew a leadoff walk, and Puyleart blasted the first home run of her Carroll career. Puyleart's two-run shot was the third of the season for the Saints, and proved just enough to force extras.

Playing with a ghost runner at second in extras, the Saints squandered a prime opportunity for runs, popping-out twice with the bases loaded following a pair of walks.

The Mystics made the most of their opportunity, however, winning the game on a walk-off sacrifice fly to left field to take the first-ever Frontier Conference game for each school.

A trio of Saints finished with two hits in the game (Notbohm, Labrum, Slater), but the eight stranded runners by the team would cost Carroll a win.

GAME TWO: Bismark State 8 - Carroll 5

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It was Carroll who got out to the early lead in the afternoon game, but Bismarck State would find a way to battle back for the win.

Carlee Smith (Blackfoot, Idaho / JR) drove in the game's first run with an RBI double in the top half of the second inning to put the Saints on top 1-0. Following a double of her own in the next at-bat, Lilly Main (Spokane, Wash. / FR) stole home to double the lead at 2-0. Madison Walker's single late in the frame drove in one more, and the Saints took a 3-0 advantage into the bottom half of the frame.

Bismarck State's Leah Rolland picked up a 2 RBI single in the bottom of the second, trimming the Saints' lead to just one following a hit batter and fielder's choice.

The Mystics put three more runs on the board in the third inning, capped by a two-run home run that the day for starter Kathryn Emmert (Helena, Mont. / SO) after 2.2 innings with five earned on six hits, while punching out three batters.

A costly error in the fifth inning led to three more runs for Bismarck State, giving the Mystics a commanding 8-3 lead heading into the late innings.

Carlee Smith pulled Carroll back within striking distance in the sixth inning. The junior blasted a twp-run homer in the top half of the frame, her first of the year, to pull the Saints within three at 8-5.

The Saints would load the bases up in the aftermath of the two-run shot, but would be unable to capitalize on the opportunity with a strikeout looking ending the frame to strand three.

Smith led Carroll in the game two loss, going 3-4 with 3 RBI on the afternoon. Taylor Sayers (Helena, Mont. / SO) also recorded three hits in the second game, going 3-4 for the afternoon.

The Saints and Mystics will return to the diamond again tomorrow morning for the conclusion of the weekend series, with first pitches for the doubleheader slated for 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. (MDT).