CALDWELL, Idaho - On Day 2, another split for the MSUB softball team at the College of Idaho/Northwest Nazarene University Classic. The Yellowjackets won Game 1 against the College of Idaho 5-3, before dropping Game 2 against Eastern Oregon University 8-7.
 
Montana State University Billings wrapped up Day 2 of the tournament in Idaho winning the first game with the help of two home runs from senior Emily Osborn and a complete game from pitcher Jessyka MacDonald, but falling in Game 2 as Eastern Oregon came back in the final two innings tacking on three runs to finish with a 1-run win.
 
Game 1 (MSUB 5, College of Idaho 3)
 
MacDonald (2-2) threw a complete game fanning five hits against 25 batters, and allowing three earned in the win over host College of Idaho.
 
Osborn was 1-2 in the game with two runs and three RBI's as she struck two home runs in the game putting across three of the team's five runs. Both teams had five hits in the game.
 
In the first inning, Brittney Sanders hit a double for MSUB, bringing in Cori Gammon who had reached base on an error by the Yotes first baseman.
 
The College of Idaho (7-11) added all three of its runs of the game in the first inning off the bat of Alexis Macias as she hit a 3-run shot to left center.
 
The Yellowjackets were able to add another run in the second inning with the first of Osborn's two home runs. Aubrey Conceicao added the tying run in the sixth inning when she hit a sac fly to left field brining Taylor Hoke in from third. Osborn tacked on the winning runs with a 2-RBI home run to right field.
 
"The team played very well," MSUB head coach Lisa Allen said. "The score doesn't show how well our offense hit, they were hitting hard shots at people all game. We adjusted to the pitching quickly. Our defense continued to play well, and Jessyka did a fabulous job of throwing a complete game and keeping them at three runs."
 
Game 2 (Eastern Oregon 8, MSUB 7)
 
The Yellowjackets had 10 hits to the Mountaineers nine, but after rallying down from two, EOU capitalized on some loose innings down the stretch.
 
"Our offense and defense continued to play well," Allen said. "Their offense made adjustments to pitchers quickly and the defensive was very aggressive. The combination of free bases and timely hits by Eastern Oregon hurt us."
 
Sanders finished 2-3 in the game with an RBI and her second double of the day. Conceicao also had a double, scoring two runs in the third inning.
 
MSU Billings took a 2-run lead into the fifth inning before Eastern Oregon added four runs in the final three innings for the come-from-behind win.
 
The Yellowjackets scored five runs in the fifth inning, with four of the five coming off errors from the Mountaineers. In the fifth and sixth inning, Eastern Oregon scored two runs to take the lead back at 8-6.
 
The Yellowjackets rallied in the seventh inning getting one run back on a sac bunt from Heather Tracy, but fell just short leaving the tying run on base. Pitcher Mary Grace Bywater (1-1) went four and two-thirds innings, fanning eight hits and allowing five runs.
 
Today's St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day is Emily Osborn.
 
Tomorrow Montana State University Billings (5-8) plays its final two games of the tournament in Nampa. The team plays a rematch with Eastern Oregon at 10 a.m., and a rematch with Concordia (Ore.) at 12 p.m. Live stats for both games will be available at msubsports.com.