Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BILLINGS, Mont.  -  The Montana State University Billings Softball team won both of their home opening games against Western Washington University, 10-5 and 5-4.
 
It was a cold and snowy opening day for the MSU Billings (9-10, 4-6 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) softball team, but they made the most of their home opening double-header as they won both games against conference opponent Western Washington (11-8, 3-5).
 
The Vikings got two big games from Haylee Baker, she was 4-8 with two homeruns and five RBI's.  Meghan Carillo was 5-7 with a double for the two games.
 
The Yellowjackets used a balanced attack in the two games to get their first two wins at home.
 
MSUB 10, WWU 5
 
It was Western Washington who struck first, but it was MSUB who added five runs in the third and fourth innings to take their run total into the double digits.
 
The Vikings got homeruns from Haylee Baker and Alexie Levin with Meghan Carillo hitting 3-3, including a double, but it wouldn't be enough to stop the Yellowjackets in the first game.
 
Levin got it started for WWU in the second inning with a solo shot to left field; she would finish 2-4 in the game.  Carillo would add a run in the fourth inning with her double which would drive in Levin from third base.  Lauren Bennett added a run in the fifth when she hit a double driving in Autumn Isaacson.  On the first pitch of her at bat, Baker hit a homerun into center adding two more RBI's in the seventh.  But, the Vikings would be unable to add any more runs.
 
All of MSUB's runs came in the third and fourth innings of the game.  In the third inning Taylor Hoke put up the first run on the board for MSUB as she hit a single to right field, driving in Bella Rovens from third.  Rovens was 3-4 in the game with two runs. Sanders would follow that up with a two-run double into center.  Breanna Wilson would add two more runs when she hit a hard double to the fence to bring in Sanders and Hali Gruntowicz to put the Yellowjackets up 5-2.
 
In the fourth inning, Hoke would again put up the first run as she hit another single bringing in Rovens from third again.  The Yellowjackets would add two more runs on a wild pitch and a walk.  Then, Samantha Jo Everett would add the final two runs when she hit a single into center bringing in Sanders and Gruntowicz.
 
Mary Grace Bywater (4-1) pitched a complete game for MSUB, scattering 10 hits, allowing five runs, three earned, and striking out six batters.
 
Jenna DeRosier (5-3) recorded the loss for the Vikings as she went 2.2 innings, scattering eight hits, while five runs scored.
 
MSUB 5, WWU 4
 
In the second game it would be some steady hitting for MSUB that would have the Yellowjackets come out on top. 
 
Haylee Baker continued her big at bats as she was responsible for all four RBI's for the Vikings in game two.  She started it off in the second inning with a single to right field to drive in the team's first two runs.  Then, in the fourth inning hit her second homerun of the day to add two more runs to WWU's score.
 
MSU Billings' Gruntowicz was 2-3 in the second game with a homerun and three RBI's.  Aubrey Conceicao and Breanna Wilson also went 2-3.
 
Grutowicz would start it off for the Yellowjackets in the second as she hit a two-run homerun.  She would add another run in the fourth as a long single brought in a run.  Samantha Jo Everett added a run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to right field.  The last run for MSUB was on a walk in the sixth.
 
Jessyka MacDonald (4-2) pitched the complete game for MSU Billings, fanning eight hits while allowing four runs and striking out seven.
 
Ison Aspen (3-4) pitched a total game for the Vikings allowing eight hits and five runs, three earned.
 
Tomorrow the two teams will play again at an early time.  First pitch is scheduled to be thrown out at 10 am.  There will be no video due to weather, but there will be live stats.
 



MT State Billings 10, Western Washington 5 (Mar 22, 2014 at Billings, Mont.) (Game 1)
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Western Washington.. 010 110 2 -  5 10  1      (11-7, 3-4 GNAC)
MT State Billings... 005 500 X - 10 11  2      (8-10, 3-6 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Western Washington - Jenna DeRosier; Shayna Adelstein(3) and Lynsey Amundson;
Taylor Clark; Mackenzie Hughes. MT State Billings - Bywater,Mary Grace and Sanders,Brittney.
Win-Bywater,Mary Grace(4-1)  Loss-Jenna DeRosier(5-3)  T-3:00  A-96
HR WWU - Haylee Baker (1); Alexie Levin (1).
Weather: snowy
Game: MSUBWWU1
 

MT State Billings 5, Western Washington 4 (Mar 22, 2014 at Billings, Mont.)

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Western Washington.. 020 200 0 -  4  8  2      (11-8, 3-5 GNAC)

MT State Billings... 020 111 X -  5  8  2      (9-10, 4-6 GNAC)

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Pitchers: Western Washington - Aspen Ison and Taylor Clark. MT State Billings -

MacDonald,Jessyka and Sanders,Brittney.

Win-MacDonald,Jessyka(4-2)  Loss-Aspen Ison(4-3)  T-2:00  A-82

HR WWU - Haylee Baker (1).

HR MSUB - Gruntowicz,Hali (1).

Weather: cloudy, cold

Game: MSUBWWU2