Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BILLINGS, Mont.  – The Montana State University Billings Softball team split their pair of games against Northwest Nazarene University on Friday, Apr. 11 by scores of 4-6 and 8-0 (in 5 innings).
 
MSU Billings (13-18 5-11 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) split their pair of games on the first day of their double-header series against Northwest Nazarene.
 
In the first game, MSUB got behind early and had a rally going in the seventh, but couldn't quite catch the Crusaders as NNU took the first game 4-6.
 
All six of Northwest Nazarene's (11-25, 3-10 GNAC) runs came in the first five innings as six Crusaders had a hit in the first game.  Alyssa Nitschelm was 1-3 with 3 RBI's.  She hit a homerun to right center to bring in three runners at the top of four.  Gatalina Schuster also hit a homerun for NNU, hers was a single shot to left field at the top of the fifth inning, to give the Crusaders a 6-0 lead.
 
MSU Billings would come up with four runs, one each in five and six, and two in the seventh before ending the game two runs short.  Emily Osborn and designated player Breanna Wilson each were 2-4 in the game.  Osborn hit a homerun in the sixth inning, her second of the season.  Aubrey Conceicao also had a homerun in the game.  Conceicao would hit her homerun on the first pitch at the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs to start a two-out rally.  The Yellowjackets would produce two more hits to score another run before ending the inning. 
 
MSUB outhit NNU in the first game 10-7, but left a critical eight runners stranded.  Noelle Wright recorded the win for the Crusaders and moves to 6-13 on the season while Mary Grace Bywater (4-2) recorded the loss for the Yellowjackets.
 
"We didn't come out in game one today prepared," Head Coach Lisa Allen said.  "We gave up several runs on errors and missed pitches. Our offense didn't make adjustments quick enough. The good news was that in the 5^th through the 7^th we made some adjustments hitting and had the tying run up to the plate."
 
Game two feature a different story, as MSUB outhit the Crusaders 11-1.  Three Yellowjackets hit a homerun in the game.  Catcher Brittney Sanders was 3-3 while Breanna Wilson was 2-2. 
 
It was a three homerun third inning for the Yellowjackets.  Caryn Perrigo started it off for MSU Billings as she hit her first homerun of the season in the third inning to give MSUB the early lead.  Next, Taylor Hoke hit her first homerun of the season to score three.  Hoke's came on a 1-0 count to give MSUB a 4-0 lead.  Sanders had 4 RBI's, including a two-run homerun in the third and a single in the fifth that also scored two runs to end the game after MSUB acquired the eight-run lead.
 
Amanda Todd (3-6) pitched the complete game shut-out for MSU Billings.  In five innings, she fanned one-hit while striking out six.  Ashley Pesek recorded the loss for NNU and is now 3-6 on the season.
 
"In game two we did a good job of adjusting to the pitcher and swinging level, " Coach Allen stated. "Amanda Todd pitched a great game keeping their hits to a minimum. The defense played well behind he having double plays and diving plays."
 
Tomorrow is Senior Day at the newly named Avitus Group Stadium.  The Yellowjackets will honor the three seniors who will be playing in their last home games.  Amanda Todd, Breanna Wilson, and Samantha Jo Everett will all be recognized before the first game of the double-header for their contributions to MSUB Softball. 
 
"We are looking forward to tomorrow for our senior game," Coach Allen said.  "We will miss these girls and want to honor them by playing hard tomorrow."
 
The double-header tomorrow will start at the earlier time of 10 am.  Live video and live stats will be available at MSUBSports.com.
 
 
Northwest Nazarene 6, MT State Billings 4 (Apr 11, 2014 at Billings, Mont.) (Game 1)
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Northwest Nazarene.. 110 310 0 -  6  7  2      (11-24, 3-9 GNAC)
MT State Billings... 000 011 2 -  4 10  1      (12-18, 4-11 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Northwest Nazarene - Wright and Schuster; Johnson. MT State Billings -
Bywater,Mary Grace; MacDonald,Jessyka(4) and Sanders,Brittney.
Win-Wright(6-13)  Loss-Bywater,Mary Grace(4-2)  T-2:15  A-144
HR NNU - Schuster (1); Lounsbury (1); Nitschelm (1)
HR MSUB - Conceicao,Aubrey (1); Osborn,Emily (1)
 
MT State Billings 8, Northwest Nazarene 0 (Apr 11, 2014 at Billings, Mont.) (Game 2)
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Northwest Nazarene.. 000 00 -  0  1  1      (11-25, 3-10 GNAC)
MT State Billings... 006 02 -  8 11  0      (13-18, 5-11 GNAC)
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Pitchers: Northwest Nazarene - Pesek; Wright(3) and Johnson.
 MT State Billings - Todd,Amandaand Sanders,Brittney.
Win-Todd,Amanda(3-6)  Loss-Pesek(4-10)  T-1:30  A-72
HR MSUB - Hoke,Taylor (1); Sanders,Brittney (1); Perrigo,Caryn (1).