BILLINGS, Mont. – MSUB softball split Day 1 against the University of Great Falls winning Game 1 3-2, then falling 15-2 (5 innings) in Game 2 Saturday afternoon in Avitus Group Stadium.
After putting up double-digit hits in seven of its last eight games, MSUB came up with just 11 total across the two games against Great Falls (22-13). The Yellowjackets are off this week from Great Northwest Athletic Conference play, instead hosting in-state UGF for a four-game series.
Game 1 - MSU Billings 3, Great Falls 2 In Game 1, the scoreboard remained at zeros until MSUB's
Aubrey Conceicao struck a RBI single into left field giving the 'Jackets the 1-0 lead at the bottom of the fourth inning. MSU Billings held the slim advantage until the top of the sixth inning when the Argos' Kirstie Thomas sent a two-run home run over the left field fence.
Down by one in the seventh, Montana State University Billings (24-19) crossed two runs over the plate to end the game with the win. The 'Jackets did it with some help by an error from UGF and singles from right fielder
Heather Tracy and center fielder
Bella Rovens.
In the final inning, MSUB's
Emily Osborn reached base on an error from UGF's second baseman.
Kelsey Devlin followed her onto base after being hit by a pitch. Tracy laid down a bunt single to advance the runners beating out the throw to first to load the bases. At the plate, Rovens hit her single up the middle to score Osborn from third. On a fielder's choice from
Amanda Barham, Devlin came in from third to score the winning run.
MSUB scored three runs on six hits while stranding four runners. In the circle,
Jessyka MacDonald (15-6) twirled the complete game, allowing two runs on five hits while fanning nine batters.
Rovens ended Game 1 1-for-2 at the plate with one RBI. Conceicao was 1-for-3 with one RBI.
UGF's Keeley Van Blaricom (16-4) picked up the loss tossing 6 1/3 innings, facing 29 batters allowing one earned run on six hits. Kirstie Thomas was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBIs.
Game 2 - Great Falls 15, MSU Billings 2 (5 Innings) The Yellowjackets ran into a hard-hitting UGF offense in Game 2 of the day's doubleheader. The Argonauts scored 15 runs on seven hits, with eight of those runs coming from grand slams from Chloe Cross and Van Blaricom.
MSUB put up a run in the first inning and one in the fifth inning, but that was all the Yellowjackets could manage in the back-half of Saturday's doubleheader. The 'Jackets struck six hits in Game 2, but left eight runners stranded on base and committed four defensive errors resulting in multiple runs from the Argos.
The St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game
Cori Gammon kicked it off for MSUB with a walk in the first inning to reach base. She stole second and came home when first baseman
Cameron Cassinelli struck a to-the-fence double into left field. Gammon also added the second run of the game for MSUB in the fifth inning when she launched her second home run of the season to center field.
After being behind by one run, Great Falls came back with two runs in the third inning to take the lead, but blew the game open scoring five runs in the fourth inning and eight in the fifth to end the game on the eight-run mercy rule.
On the day, UGF's Cross was 3-for-7, scoring three runs and totaling four RBIs with her grand slam. Van Blaricom was 1-for-7, but her one hit was the grand slam in the fifth inning. In the circle, UGF's Taylor Abeyta (3-5) earned the win with two runs scored on six hits while fanning three.
Cassinelli, leadoff hitter
Myrissa Prince, and shortstop
Jordyn Roark all recorded a double for MSUB. Gammon finished the game 2-for-2 with two runs and an RBI. Roark and
Alyssa Yaeger were both 1-for-2 at the plate.
In the circle,
Amanda Roark (2-5) took the loss for MSUB pitching 4 2/3 innings allowing 11 runs on four hits.
Jessica Campbell pitched 1/3 of an inning allowing four runs on three hits.
Sunday, MSU Billings is set to host the second doubleheader of the series. First pitch is set to be thrown at noon. Live stats for the games will be available on msubsports.com.
