Box Score 1 | Box Score 2
PHOTO GALLERY

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings' softball team bounced back from an 11-2 first game loss to Central Washington University, to pick up a 13-5 second game victory in the first home games of the 2013 season.

The Yellowjackets' (5-13, 4-7 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) Katie Schermele was 3-for-3 in the second game. The freshman had a great home debut hitting a pair of home runs, and driving in four runs. Jessyka MacDonald improved to 3-3 on the mound for MSUB with the Game 2 win.

It was a cold and windy day that featured two very different games. Central Washington (7-10, 5-5 GNAC) used a seven-run sixth inning to pull away with the win. Cassi Ellis was 5-of-7 on the day. The senior had five RBI, with four coming in the opener.

“In Game 1, we didn't get the clutch hits and made some fundamental mistakes on defense,” MSU Billings' Head Coach Lisa Allen said. “Our pitchers left the ball too high in the zone allowing their hitters to get bit hits. In the second game, our offense did a good job of moving runners and getting them in. The defense was strong and took care of the ball.”

Both pitchers started out strong in the first game, as the game entered the fifth inning with a 1-0 MSUB lead. In the bottom of the first inning, Emily Osborn drove in Aubrey Conceicao with a single through the middle. After allowing no hits in the first two innings, Amanda Todd gave up a combined three hits in the third and fourth innings. Gau only allowed five Yellowjacket hits through the first four innings.

After leaving a pair runners on base in both the third and fourth innings, the Wildcats got on the scoreboard in the top of the fifth. Todd struck out two of the first three batters, but Michaela Hazlett would bring in the first run with a single. The next batter, Ellis, singled to the shortstop and drove in another Wildcat run. MSUB made a pitching change, but CWU scored two more runs on an Andrea Hamada before the inning finished.

Montana State Billings had a solo home run from Conceicao in the bottom half of the inning, and Central Washington broke open the scoring in the top of the sixth. Ellis brought in three Wildcats on a double to right-center. The next batter, Jill McDaniels, hit her fifth home run in the last four games with a two-run blast over the left field fence. Elena Carter then followed with a solo home run two batters later.

Gau (3-5) earned her third win allowing seven hits in the complete game performance. She walked three and struck out three in the victory. Todd (2-2) was credited with the loss, allowing seven hits in 4.2 innings. She struck out nine Wildcats.

Montana State Billings committed three errors, while the Wildcats had no errors. Central Washington outhit MSUB, 13-7. Maikala Galusha and Remy Bradley both had two hits for the Wildcats. Brittney Sanders and Caryn Perrigo recorded two hits each for the Yellowjackets.

In the second game, it was the MSU Billings' bats that dominated. The Yellowjackets matched a season-high 14 hits in the victory and committed no errors. CWU had 10 hits and one error.

After the Wildcats opened the scoring in the first inning with a run, Montana State Billings responded with six runs in the bottom of the first. Osborn doubled to left center, bringing in Conceicao. The next batter, Nicole Wilkerson, hit her third home run of the season. The three-run shot over the center field fence. Sanders then doubled to centerfield, and later scored off of a two-run double from MacDonald.

Neither team scored in the second inning, but had home runs in the third inning. Hazlett hit a solo home run for Central Washington in the top half of the inning. The Yellowjackets then tallied three more runs. Perrigo had a double that was followed by a three-run home run from Schermele.

The Wildcats threatened in the fourth inning, scoring a run, but leaving the bases loaded. In the bottom of the fourth, Wilkerson doubled to left center, bringing in Rose Harrington. Two batters later, Perrigo hit a two-run home run, which was followed by another home run from Schermele. CWU scored two runs in the fifth, but came no closer.

The Yellowjackets welcome Northwest Nazarene (5-20, 0-10) Saturday. MSUB swept the Crusaders earlier this season in Nampa. NNU is 0-18 all-time in Billings. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. Live stats will be available on MSUBSports.com.