Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box
Post Game Interview
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BILLINGS, Mont. -- The Montana State Billings softball team completed the largest seventh inning comeback in program history in game one and dominated game number two in five innings, earning the Yellowjackets a sweep of Simon Fraser in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action Saturday.

 

The Yellowjackets played in their 2011 home debut and improved their record to 8-11 on the season and 6-8 in the conference. Simon Fraser fell to 3-5 on the year and is also 3-5 in league play.

 

Head Coach Lisa Allen earned the first victories of her career after taking over for Anthony Stone who resigned earlier in the week. “It was a great feeling to get that first win out of the way,” said Allen. “Now we can focus on winning more games and not have to worry about getting that initial win. Our girls did a great job of battling back today in the first game, and really picked it up in the second game. Our pitchers did a good job of hitting their spots and the defense was tremendous.”

 

Senior Kelly Parsons was 3-for-5 today with three runs, five RBI and two home runs. Kaycee Hoffman also had a strong day, going 4-for-7 with two runs scored, a home run and five RBI. Also homering today was Jenna VanEykeren who was 3-of-6 with a run and a double and an RBI.

 

In the circle it was Kasie Conder taking the win in game one, improving to 5-3 on the season, and in game two, Annaleisha Parsley improved to 3-5 on the year.

 

 

The Yellowjackets took a while to get started in game one as it looked like the Clan was going to run away with the game, scoring the first six runs of the ballgame.

 

SFU scored a run in the first and then tagged Conder for two runs in both the second and fourth innings. The Clan then added the final run in the sixth, while Cara Lukawesky kept the Jackets tied up for the first six innings to take a 6-0 lead into the final inning.

 

The Clan decided to take Lukawesky out at the beginning of the seventh and bring in Cortney McCallum to put the game away, but the Jackets had other plans.

 

Tarn Potter started the inning with a double to left center, which was then followed by Parsons' first home run of the day on a 2-2 offering, cutting the lead to 6-2.

 Angela Lingle then slapped a ball right back up the middle for a single and was subbed out by Rose Harrington. Bobbie Lee then singled to left to move Harrington to second and put two runners on with nobody out. After that hit, SFU brought Lukawesky back in to pitch in place of McCallum.

 

After loading the bases on a Nicole Colpron walk, VanEykeren popped up to short for the first out. MSUB then cut the lead in half, 6-3, when Becca Frank walked to bring in Harrington from third. Two more runs came around to score when Meg Harasymczuk knocked the first pitch into center field for a double, scoring Olivia Heidinger and Lee.

 

The final blow from the Jackets came in the next at bat when Hoffman stepped to the plate with two ducks on the pond. With a 1-2 count, Hoffman stepped into the fourth pitch she saw and sent a long fly ball over the right field fence for the walk-off homer and her fifth home run of the year.

 

The Yellowjackets had nine hits in the game, six coming in the seventh inning, and scored all eight runs in the final frame. Conder threw a complete 7.0 innings, allowing six runs, just four earned, on nine hits, one walk, and she fanned seven. It was her first home appearance since her freshman year.

 

The Yellowjackets wasted no time in putting runs on the board in game number two. Hoffman began the scoring when she singled through the left side for an RBI-single that scored Frank. After the bases got loaded, Parsons came through with an RBI-single of her own, scoring Harasymczuk to give MSUB a 2-0 lead.

 

Two wild pitches from SFU starter Kelsey Hawkins led to the next two runs scoring to push the lead to 4-0. The final run came on a single through the right side from Lingle that scored Parsons from third.

 

Parsons would score again in the third inning when she hit her second home run of the day, this time a solo shot, on a 1-1 pitch, making the score 6-0.

 

After a Clan home run in the top of the fourth, MSUB put the game away in the bottom of the inning. VanEykeren hit her solo shot into left field for her second dinger of the season and then Hoffman singled up the middle to score Frank, making the lead 8-1.

 

The final two runs came on a bases loaded walk by Parsons that scored Harasymczuk and then on a wild pitch that scored that scored Samantha Church who was running for Hoffman.

 

Parsley slammed the door shut in the top of the fifth, holding the Clan to just one run on three hits in 5.0 innings of work. She walked just one batter and struck out four in taking the victory.