Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

MONMOUTH, Ore. – In its Great Northwest Athletic Conference season openers, the Western Oregon University softball team picked up a pair of victories at home over Montana State University Billings Friday, 6-0 and 1-0.

The wins were the third and fourth straight for the Wolves (11-12, 2-0 GNAC), and keeps them undefeated at home this season. Hannah Pomeroy and Jourdan Williams recorded the shutout victories for WOU. Pomeroy was a force at the plate as well, adding two home runs, including a grand slam.

“Our defense and pitching staff have continued to do a good job in trying to keep us in games,” MSUB Head Coach Lisa Allen said. “Our offense needs to get back to the basic mechanics and hit pitches that we can hit hard and make adjustments sooner.”

The Yellowjackets have dropped four of their past five games, being outscored, 21-1, in those setbacks. MSUB has lost three straight, and has not scored a run in the past 23 innings.

Montana State Billings finished with no errors in either game Friday, but was outhit 9-5. Western Oregon committed one error in the opener. The Wolves only had three hits in the first game, but they made them count.

After a scoreless first three innings, WOU opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth when Williams drove in Melanie Pfeiffer on a double. Two batters later, Pomeroy stepped to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a home run over the right-center field wall for a grand slam.

Pomeroy added a solo home run over the left field wall in the bottom of the sixth for her second home run of the day and third of the season.

The senior retired the Yellowjackets in the seventh, and moved to 6-3 this season after allowing only two hits in the complete game win. Amanda Todd (2-1) was credited with the loss for MSU Billings. She allowed five runs on two hits in four innings. The junior gave up no hits through the first three innings.

Montana State Billings had its chances to score. The Yellowjackets left seven runners on base, while WOU left two.

The second game was a pitching duel between Williams and Jessyka MacDonald. Neither side scored until the final inning, when Pfeiffer hit a 1-2 pitch into centerfield, and scored Bridjet Box. There was one out and the bases were loaded when Pfeiffer had the game-winning hit.

Williams (3-5) threw just 71 pitches in the win. Fifty of her pitches were strikes. She allowed four hits while striking out five Yellowjackets in a complete game. MacDonald (2-2) took the loss, giving up only one run on six hits in 6.1 innings.

Montana State Billings (4-10, 3-4) travels north on I-5 to Lacey, Wash., for a matchup at Saint Martin's University Saturday. The Saints (9-5, 0-0) have won five straight contests, and will be playing their first conference games of the season. First pitch is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT. Live stats will be available on MSUBSports.com.