Box - San Bernardino
Box - Stanislaus
Box - Chico

TURLOCK, Calif. -- The Montana State Billings softball team went 1-2 on the second day of the Mizuno Tournament of Champions Saturday afternoon in Turlock. The Yellowjackets are now 14-16 on the year after dropping their first game to CSU San Bernardino, then winning versus CSU Stanislaus, and dropping the nightcap to CSU Chico.

 

“The girls played really well despite our outcomes,” said head coach Lisa Allen. “It was a really quick turnaround from last night, but the girls came out and fought hard in the first game and just came up short. The second game we played really well and had some big hits to get the win. In the final game we just didn't play our style of defense. We just have to be ready to play tomorrow now that we're in bracket play and make every play count.”

 

Meg Harasymczuk led the way for the Yellowjackets, crushing two home runs during the afternoon, while senior Kelly Parsons added to her season total. The Yellowjacket pitchers stayed competitive most of the day and managed to keep the scoring totals down.

 

 

The Yellowjackets fell behind early against CSU San Bernardino as the Coyotes scored all five runs in the first and second innings off of Yellowjacket starter Amanda Todd (3-5), who tossed 2 1/3 of an inning with five runs, three earned, on eight hits.

 

The Jackets scratched two runs across the plate in the fourth inning when Tarn Potter doubled through the left side to score Kaycee Hoffman. Potter later scored after stealing third and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Nicole Colpron.

 

The third and final run was scored in the fifth inning on Harasymczuk's first home run of the day, a solo shot, and her eighth of the season.

 

Annaleisha Parsley shut the Coyotes down after coming in on relief in the third inning, throwing 2 2/3 of an inning with just two hits and a pair of strikeouts.

 

Hoffman and Harasymzcuk combined to go 4-for-7 with a pair of runs scored and one RBI as the only two players with multiple hits for MSUB.

 

Behind a dominating pitching performance from Parsley in the second game of the day, MSUB limited the tournament host Warriors to just one run on four hits in the one run victory. Parsley allowed three walks and fanned five in improving to 5-6 on the season.

 

The Yellowjackets put the first crooked number on the board in the second inning as she hit her league-leading 10^th home run of the season with a shot to left field.

 

Stanislaus tied the game at 1-1 when they had runners at the corner and Parsons decided to throw down to first for a pick-off and got the out, but allowed the runner from third to slide in under the tag for the tying run.

 

The Jackets regained the lead in the next inning as the lead-off hitter, Harasymczuk, laid into a pitch and hit a home run for the second time in two games and for the ninth time this season.

 

Parsons was the only Yellowjacket with multiple hits in the game, homering and doubling on her way to a 2-for-3 day with a run scored and an RBI. Six other Jackets helped spray the seven hits for MSUB as they left six runners on the bases.

 

The final game of the day saw the Yellowjackets defense run out of steam as Chico scored two runs in the first and another in the second to build a 3-0 lead on Parsley who started the game for the Jackets.

 

Three more runs were added by the Chico offense in the seventh inning off of reliever Kasie Conder for the final six point edge.

 

Parsley tossed one plus innings en route to allowing three runs on two hits while walking three and striking out one. Conder had kept the opposing batters off balance until the seventh, throwing six complete innings with three runs, two earned, on five hits and struck out four.

 

The Yellowjackets will wait and see how the rest of the pool play works out to find out who they'll be playing in which bracket tomorrow morning. The Yellowjackets finished pool play with a 2-3 record.