Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 | Box Score 3

TURLOCK, Calif. – The Montana State University Billings' softball team won one of its three games at the 12th annual Tournament of Champions presented by Mizuno Saturday.

In MSU Billings' first game of the day, No. 9 Humboldt State used a run in the top of the seventh to hold off Montana State Billings, 5-4, in Game 44. The Lumberjacks (31-10, 20-4 California Collegiate Athletic Association) avenged a 13-5 loss to MSUB earlier this season at the Desert Stinger. HSU has won 19 of its last 20 games.

Hannah Williams was 1-for-3 with two RBI. Katie Obbema improved to 13-2 on the mound. She gave up four earned runs on eight hits and struck out seven Yellowjackets.

Amanda Todd (2-5) limited Humboldt State to four hits in the loss. She fanned four Lumberjacks. MSU Billings' Taylor Hoke was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Brittney Sanders was also 2-for-3, scoring once.

In the Yellowjackets' second game of the day, Cal State-San Bernadino (13-28, 7-17 CCAA) scattered four runs over the first three innings to pull away early in a 5-1 victory.

After picking up her first win of the season earlier in the day over Western Washington, Kacey Cota pitched seven innings against MSU Billings. The freshman struck out three Yellowjackets, did not issue a walk and scattered eight hits for her second shutout of the day.

In the top of the first inning, Jamie Leffingwell drove in Alyssa Flores with a triple, and the Coyotes added another run in the second when Jacquelyn Lopez singled to left center and scored Na'Tavia Lee.

Taylor Davis earned her second consecutive two-RBI day on a one-out single to center field in the top of the third. Alyssa Flores capped the scoring with a solo home run in the seventh inning over the left field fence.

Montana State Billings' Hoke continued her strong day, going 3-for-3 at the plate. The sophomore had the Yellowjackets' lone RBI in the game. In the bottom of the fifth inning, she drove in Samantha Jo Everett on a single. Jessica Campbell (1-6) threw the first 2.1 innings, allowing four earned runs on nine hits. Amanda Roark tossed the final 4.2 innings. She gave up one earned run on one hit.

The Yellowjackets left eight runners on base, while CSUSB stranded six. Neither team committed an error. The Coyotes outhit Montana State Billings, 10-8.

“We are continuing to hit the ball hard and getting better each game,” MSUB Head Coach Lisa Allen said. “We just need to find some gap hits. Pitching and defensively we need to do a little better job of keeping the runs scored to a minimum. The Humboldt game was exciting because we battled back to tie the game. Against San Bernardino, we struggled finding a gap with runners on and gave up too many runs early in the game by not making pitching adjustments.”

In MSUB's final game of the day, the Yellowjackets (9-22, 7-8 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 2-1 victory over Cal State-Chico. Montana State Billings gave up only three hits in Game 65 of the tournament. Jessyka MacDonald (4-3) allowed one earned run on three hits in five innings on the mound. She struck out five Wildcats. Mary Grace Bywater picked up her first save of the season after retiring the final six batters.

After 3.5 innings of scoreless softball, MSU Billings' fourth hit of the game was a double to right center field by Sanders. The hit drove in Nicole Wilkerson and Hoke, and would be the winning runs. Sanders finished the game 2-for-2, while Hoke was 2-for-3.

Chico State (18-16, 16-8 CCAA) answered with a run in the top of the fifth inning. The Wildcats left three runners on base at the end of the inning. Cheyenne Sandoval dropped to 2-2 on the season after pitching three innings, giving up two earned runs on four hits.

Montana State Billings enters bracket play Sunday. The Yellowjackets face Notre Dame de Namur (21-15, 12-8 PacWest) in the Platinum Bracket at 1 p.m. Pacific Time.

Tournament of Champions
Saturday's Results
Grand Canyon 5, Northwest Nazarene 0
Hawaii Pacific 5, Western Oregon 1
Sonoma State 6, Simon Fraser 0
Cal Baptist 2, Cal State Dominguez Hills 1 (8 inn)
Cal State San Bernardino 2, Western Washington 0
Cal State Monterey Bay 4, Azusa Pacific 1
Chaminade 10, Northwest Nazarene 0
Hawaii Pacific 9, Notre Dame de Namur 5
Sonoma State 7, Western Oregon 1
Humboldt State 5, Montana State Billings
4 San Francisco State 1, Grand Canyon 0
Saint Martin's 5, Cal State Monterey Bay 1
Hawaii Hilo 4, UC San Diego 3
Notre Dame de Namur 1, Simon Fraser 0
Chaminade 4, Cal State Dominguez Hills 1
Cal State San Bernardino 5, Montana State Billings 1
Azusa Pacific 2, Chico State 1
Cal Baptist 5, Cal State East Bay 1
Cal State Dominguez Hills 5, Hawaii Hilo 2
Humboldt State 8, Western Washington 3
Simon Fraser 8, Cal State Stanislaus 6
Saint Martin's 7, Academy of Art 6 (8 inn)
Notre Dame de Namur 2, Western Oregon 0
San Francisco State 5, Dominican 0
Central Washington 2, Cal State Monterey Bay 1
UC San Diego 4, Chaminade 0
Hawaii Pacific 15, Cal State Stanislaus 3 (5 inn)
Central Washington 4, Academy of Art 3
Montana State Billings 2, Chico State 1
Cal State East Bay 5, Dominican 1