Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

SELAH, Wash. – The Montana State Billings softball team was unable to keep the Central Washington bats quiet Sunday afternoon as the Wildcats swept the Yellowjackets in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, 8-0 and 9-6, and earned a 3-1 series victory as well.

 

The Yellowjackets slip to 5-8 on the season and are now 3-6 in conference play, while the Wildcats improved to 5-4 on the year and 3-1 in league play.

 

Senior Kelly Parsons and transfer Rose Harrington led the way for the Yellowjackets with identical days, hitting .600 on the day by going 3-for-5 with one run scored, one home run and two RBI. Becca Frank was the only other player with multiple hits (2), going 2-for-4 with a run.

 

The Wildcats attacked the Yellowjacket pitchers, hitting the MSUB arms for 11 hits, 17 runs, only nine earned, and three home runs. The three home runs were the only multi-base hits for the Wildcats in the entire afternoon.

 

Harrington went 2-for-2 and Parsons was 1-for-2 as the pair had the only hits for the Yellowjackets in game one. Central's ace, Lauren Hadenfeld, threw five innings and struck out seven Yellowjacket batters to take the win and move to 4-3 on the year.

 

Annaleisha Parsley threw four innings for MSUB, allowing five runs on three hits; she walked seven and fanned four Wildcats in taking the loss. Parsley fell to 2-3 on the season and gave way to Amanda Todd in the fifth inning. Todd threw just two-thirds of an inning, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits.

 

The Wildcats first struck in the third inning when Carrina Wagner smacked a three-run homer to right center field on a 2-2 delivery from Parsley. It was Wagner's second of the weekend and third on the season.

 

Central's fifth inning saw the Wildcats explode as the first four batters reached base on three walks and a hit-by-pitch. CWU cashed in with a sacrifice fly and then another run on a throwing error by the Jackets. Then another throwing error on a single by Keilani Cruz allowed an extra runner to score to make the score 6-0. The final runs scored on another single by Liz Jusko, scoring Cruz and Elena Carter.

The Wildcats wasted no time jumping on MSUB starter Kasie Conder in game number two. CWU capitalized on a throwing error and then Samantha Petrich stole home for the first two runs.

 

MSUB came back in the top of the fourth when Tarn Potter singled up the middle and scored Bobbie Lee and Amanda Hood to tie the game at 2-2.

 

Central re-took the lead in the bottom of the inning however, scoring a pair of runs with two outs when Jusko took a 0-2 pitch over the left field fence for the go-ahead runs.

 

In the top of the sixth, MSUB tied the game again at 4-4 when Harrington connected on a 2-1 pitch for her first homer as a Yellowjacket. The dinger also scored Frank who was standing on third with two outs.

 

The joy was again short lived for the Yellowjackets as CWU hung five runs in the bottom of the frame with two outs. After Petrich walked to load the bases, a dropped fly ball in the outfield allowed three runs to score and opened the flood gates.

 

In the next at bat it was again Wagner sending a 2-0 pitch over left center for a 2-RBI homer, capping the scoring in the inning.

 

The Jackets didn't go down without a fight as Parsons took a first pitch offering to right field for a 2-RBI home run that scored Chloe Johnson, her second of the year. It was all the offense MSUB would see in the final inning as the final out came on a strikeout.

 

Maria Gau (1-1) took the win for the Wildcats, throwing seven complete innings with six runs on nine hits. She walked four batters, but struck out seven Yellowjackets in the win.

 

Conder (3-3) took the loss after throwing six complete innings with nine runs, just two earned, on six hits. Conder walked six and fanned six during the game.