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BILLINGS, Mont. – The “hit-a-thon” that started Friday afternoon continued into Saturday as the Montana State University Billings softball team ended their four-game sweep of the Crusaders of Northwest Nazarene University with 12 home runs. The Yellowjackets defeated the Crusaders 6-4 and 11-7 in Saturday's Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Cenex Stadium.
 
With their first weekend-series sweep completed, the Yellowjackets improve to 16-5 overall for the season and 13-3 in the conference and are now in the midst of a seven-game winning streak. The Crusaders fall to 3-15 for the season and are now 3-11 in the GNAC.
 
For the weekend, MSUB more than doubled NNU's run-output by out-scoring the Crusaders 40-15 with the Yellowjackets' pitching corps recording 36 strikeouts to the Crusaders' nine. MSUB also out-hit NNU 47-24 over the four-game series.
 
“The bats really stayed alive from yesterday and we continued to produce the runs that were needed for the wins,” first-year head coach Lisa Allen said shortly after the day's games. “The team did a great job of staying on their pitchers and making good solid contact at each at bat. Our pitchers continued to stay strong in the circle despite the defense being a little shaky at times today. All-in-all, it was another two great team wins.”
 
From the very on-set of the first game, those in attendance could tell that Saturday's games would be very similar to Friday's doubleheader, especially after centerfielder Bobbi Lee led off the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot over the centerfield fence.
 
With the score knotted at one, Meg Harasymczuk then ripped her third home run of the weekend to push the Yellowjackets ahead for good. But the leftfielder was not done yet.
 
The two taters would be just part of the four runs MSUB would score in the inning as the Yellowjackets batted around the order with both Annaleisha Parsley and Aubrey Conceicao also scoring off a single by third baseman Taylor Hoke.
 
In the next inning, after NNU got one run back, Harasymczuk would sting again with her second home run of the game, and ninth of the season. She ended the game leading the Yellowjackets at the plate with a 3-for-4 performance with two RBI and two runs scored off her pair of homers.
 
MSUB was able to hold on from there, recording one final insurance run in the sixth inning to secure the win.
 
Just behind Harasymczuk, Lee and catcher Brittney Sanders each went 2-for-3 at the dish with both recording an RBI as MSUB out-hit NNU 10-7 in Saturday's first game.
 
Jessica Campbell pitched the first three innings for MSUB, recording five strikeouts, but Kasie Conder's four innings of work awarded her the win in the game to improve her to 4-0 on the season.
 
Cara Duckworth suffered the loss in the circle for NNU to fall to 2-8 for the year.
 
The second game started off similarly to the first as the Crusaders became increasingly aggressive at the plate to go up early with two runs in the first inning. However, MSUB would once again respond, this time with five runs in the bottom of the first inning that included Conceicao's first home run of the game that also scored designated player Jenna VanEykeren.
 
The Crusaders were able to tie the score back up in the next inning to keep the game close early on, but the Yellowjackets' potent offense was just too much for NNU to overcome. MSUB would score two more runs in the second, third and fifth innings to stay far enough ahead to record their first series sweep of the season.
 
Conceicao and Rose Harrington led the way at the plate for MSUB in game two with Conceicao recording two home runs to go 3-for-4 at the plate that included four RBI. Harrington went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and two stolen bases.
 
Mary Grace Bywater pitched a complete game in game-two of the doubleheader to record her second win of the season while Krista Olson suffered her first losing decision of the season at the hands of MSUB's prolific offense. Bywater recorded eight strikeouts in the game including fanning the last three batters NNU sent to the plate to seal the deal for MSUB in the seventh inning.
 
MSUB will remain at home for one more weekend before hitting the road for Turlock, Calif. where they will participate in the Tournament of Champions Friday, March 30 through Monday, April 1.
 
Prior to that tourney, the Yellowjackets will welcome the Wolves of Western Oregon University to Cenex Stadium for a weekend-series on Saturday, March 24 and Sunday, March 25. Both days will feature GNAC doubleheaders with first pitch slated to be thrown out at 1 p.m.