Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

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BILLINGS, Mont. – In her final games in a Montana State University Billings' softball uniform, Tanya Eckles went 4-for-7 with a three RBI in a season-ending split with Western Washington University Sunday.

After being picked as the preseason favorite to defend their Great Northwest Athletic Conference title, the Yellowjackets (12-29, 10-14 GNAC) end the season sixth in the conference standings. MSUB hosts the inaugural GNAC Championships Thursday through Saturday, but will not participate after not finishing in the top four.

Eckles capped off a stellar career with a solid day, along with fellow seniors Nicole Wilkerson and Rose Harrington. Wilkerson and Harrington also finished with four hits. Emily Osborn and Jessyka MacDonald both had a pair of hits in the second game. MacDonald hit her first home run of the season in the secon game, while Osborn recorded her 10th double of the year. Mary Grace Bywater (3-5) picked up the Game 1 win. The sophomore allowed only two hits in her three innings of work. She threw no walks and allowed no runs.

The Vikings jumped out to an early lead in Game 1 after scoring four runs in the top of the second inning. Jordan Walley opened the inning with her sixth home run of the season. The Yellowjackets recorded their first run in the bottom of the third, but took their first lead with five in the fourth inning. All five MSUB runs were unearned following three WWU errors.

Montana State Billings added two more runs in the bottom of the fifth after three more errors by the Vikings. Bywater allowed only one base runner in the final two innings on one hit. Western Washington stranded nine runners on base in the game, while the Yellowjackets left three. Jenna DeRosier fell to 8-10 this season after giving up eight runs in 4.1 innings. All eight runs were unearned.

In Game 2, tallied 12 runs in the first three innings, and held off a Yellowjacket rally that included nine runs in the first five innings. Jackie Rothenberger went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs in the victory. Western Washington's Meghan Carrillo and Haylee Baker each had two hits and drove in two runs. Rachelle Berry hit a two-run home run in the third and Kristen Allen had a solo home run to lead off the seventh.

Alexie Levin (10-7) pitched five innings and allowed three earned runs on eight hits. She struck out five Yellowjackets. Amanda Todd (2-8) was credited with the loss. MacDonald came in for relief in the third inning.

The Vikings (23-23, 12-12) finished fifth in the conference standings. In the other GNAC contests Sunday, Saint Martin's swept Central Washington. The two wins clinched the GNAC regular-season title and No. 1 seed in the conference playoffs for the Saints (36-13, 18-6).

Saint Martin's will open the playoffs next Thursday at Bjorgum Field in Billings against Central Washington (19-18, 13-11), which is the fourth-seed. The game will start at 2:30 p.m. following the tournament's first game between second-seed Western Oregon (27-24, 16-8) and third-seed Simon Fraser (25-21, 15-9).  Both SMU and WOU take four-game win streaks into the tournament. Tickets are available now on GNACSports.com.