Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

NAMPA, Idaho – The Montana State University Billings' softball team grabbed a pair of victories at Northwest Nazarene University to begin its 2013 Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule.

The Yellowjackets (3-6, 2-0 GNAC) outscored NNU, 12-0, on the first day of the conference slate. MSU Billings grabbed the first game, 8-0, in six innings, and then Game 2, 4-0. It was the 10th and 11th straight wins for MSUB over Northwest Nazarene. Montana State Billings improved to 20-6 all-time at NNU.

“We had two great team wins today,” MSUB Head Coach Lisa Allen said. “Our pitchers stayed strong and got good results. Our defense played errorless and made some great plays. The offense struggled a little bit early on, but made adjustments to both pitchers. The team did an excellent job of placing bunts when we needed them. Overall it was a successful day all around.”

Montana State Billings committed no errors in both victories, while outhitting the Crusaders 20-5. The Yellowjackets, preseason favorites to win the conference, began their defense of their GNAC title solid.

In the first game, MSUB was led by a strong outing on the mound by Jessyka MacDonald. The sophomore allowed only two hits and no runs in a complete-game performance. The Billings native improved to 2-1 this season, behind eight strikeouts and no walks.

Cori Gammon went 3-for-4 at the plate for MSU Billings. Aubrey Conceicao, Rose Harrington, and Emily Osborn all had two RBI. MacDonald and Taylor Hoke both went 2-for-3 and crossed the plate twice.

Osborn had the lone extra-base hit in the game. The sophomore doubled to left field, scoring Gammon, for the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Over the next four innings, neither team scored, and featured only two hits, both by MSUB.

The Yellowjackets broke open the scoring in the top of the fifth inning. Gammon brought in Hoke with single. Conceicao reached on a bunt, and drove in MacDonald. A throwing error scored Conceicao and Caryn Perrigo. Osborn then grounded out, but brought in Harrington for the final run of the inning.

A Conceicao sacrifice fly-out added a run in the sixth, along with another bunt RBI by Harrington that scored MacDonald. The Yellowjackets left five runners on base in the win, while NNU stranded four.

Noelle Wright was credited with the loss, dropping her to 5-7 on the season. She allowed 13 hits and seven earned runs over six innings. She struckout one Yellowjacket and walked another.

Montana State Billings scored a pair of runs in the top of the third and fourth innings and shut out the Crusaders, 4-0, in Game 2. Harrington went 2-for-3 for the Yellowjackets, and Amanda Todd grabbed a win in her season debut.

Todd gave up three hits and no runs in seven innings. The junior struckout 10 Crusaders, while throwing no walks. Northwest Nazarene's (5-10, 0-2) Krista Olson dropped to 0-2 with the loss. She allowed seven hits and two earned runs in seven innings.

Gammon and Brittney Sanders both had an RBI. Breanna Wilson opened the scoring in the third inning. The junior crossed home plate on an NNU error, and then Hoke used a Gammon sacrifice fly to score the second run. The Yellowjackets added another run off an error in the fourth inning, followed by a Sanders' double that brought in Nicole Wilkerson.

Montana State Billings remains on the road and travels to Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, B.C., Tuesday. The first game of a doubleheader is scheduled for 4 p.m. Pacific Time. Live stats will be available on MSUBSports.com.

MSUB – NNU POSTGAME NOTES
* The Yellowjackets and Northwest Nazarene met for the 48th and 49th time Saturday.
* It is the second-most games with an opponent for MSU Billings.
* Montana State Billings has won 42 of the 49 all-time meetings.
* MSUB has won 11 straight over the Crusaders.
* During the 11-game win streak, MSU Billings has outscored NNU, 99-29.
* The last NNU win in the series was a 9-7 victory in Nampa on March 12, 2011.
* The Yellowjackets have won 20 of the 26 all-time meetings at Northwest Nazarene.
* The Crusaders have lost all 18 meetings in Billings.
* The first meeting was a 13-0 MSUB win in Nampa on March 8, 2004.
* After a 20-day break, Montana State Billings returned to the field for game action.
* The Yellowjackets have won their last four conference season-openers.
* Since joining the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, MSUB is 4-2 in conference season-opening contests.