BILLINGS, Mont. – Behind a complete game from
Jessyka MacDonald, MSU Billings won Game 1 4-1 against Western Oregon, but dropped Game 2 5-1 to the Wolves on Day 1 of the four-game series at Avitus Group Stadium.
MacDonald (16-6) tied the Great Northwest Athletic Conference single-game high for strikeouts this season with 12 as she tossed a complete seven inning game against Western Oregon in the front half of the doubleheader. MacDonald faced 27 batters, fanning 12 while scattering six hits and allowing just one run.
At the plate for MSUB, lead-off hitter
Bella Rovens went 6-7 with two doubles, a RBI and a run scored. Batting right behind Rovens in the second spot for the Yellowjackets, left fielder
Amanda Barham was 3-6 with a sacrifice hit and a stolen base.
Game 1 (WOU 1, MSUB 4) All the runs in the first game were scored in the fourth inning. Western Oregon's single run came off the bat of Zoe Clark as she sent a solo shot into left field to break the scoring drought.
The Yellowjackets responded in the bottom of the inning scoring four runs on four hits.
Brittney Sanders,
Cameron Cassinelli, and Rovens all had singles. Sanders crossed the plate first for the 'Jackets off the single from Cassinelli. Third baseman
Kelsey Devlin pushed two runs across on a double, scoring Cassinelli and
Aubrey Conceicao who had reached base on a bunt. Devlin finished off the scoring in the inning as she came across the plate on the Rovens' single to WOU's shortstop.
MSU Billings outhit Western Oregon 9-6 in the first game. Both teams stranded five runners on base.
In the circle for WOU, Jourdan Williams went the distance twirling all seven innings for the Wolves. She faced an equal number of batters to MacDonald with 27, scattering nine hits and allowing four runs.
Today's win in the circle marks MacDonald's 16
th of the season and her 14
th complete game of the year. The senior's record for strikeouts in a single game is 14 which she did against Western Oregon on Mar. 25, 2012. The GNAC all-time record is 17 set by HSU's Lizzy Prescott in 2006.
Game 2 (WOU 5, MSUB 1) The Yellowjackets followed up their first game performance with a 10-hit one run outing during the second game of the series. MSUB hit double-digits in the batter's box, but were unable to push runs across as the team stranded eight runners during the nightcap. Western Oregon was able to score five runs on seven hits, leaving just five runners on base.
MSUB scored its single run of the game in the first inning. Rovens led off the game for the 'Jackets with a double into center field. She advanced to third base on a wild pitch. Shortstop
Taylor Hoke struck her second sacrifice fly of the season deep into center field bringing in Rovens.
From there the Wolves tied the game in the second inning with a run, added another in the fifth, and pushed three more runs across in the top of the seventh.
Amanda Evola was 2-4 for the Wolves and Clark was 1-2 with a run scored. Lexi Jennings struck her seventh home run of the year in the second inning for WOU.
Rovens was 4-4 in Game 2. Barham and
Emily Osborn were both 2-3.
Alyson Boytz tossed the complete game for Western Oregon scattering 10 hits, but just one earned run. She fanned three while facing 30 batters.
Amanda Roark (3-7) started Game 2 for MSUB allowing five earned runs on five hits in 6 total innings to go with three strikeouts, before MacDonald came in to get the final three outs. MacDonald wrapped up the game allowing two hits, but also adding her thirteenth strikeout of the day.
With a win today, Western Oregon (21-26, 13-9 GNAC) secures the fourth and final spot in the GNAC postseason tournament.
MSU Billings moves to 26-21 and 14-8 in the GNAC and is sitting in third place in the conference standings after already securing a place in the conference tournament last weekend.
Tomorrow is the final day of GNAC regular season competition for both teams. MSU Billings will honor its seven seniors in a ceremony before the first game tomorrow. The ceremony is set to begin at 11:35 a.m. with first pitch scheduled for noon. To go along with Senior Day, tomorrow at Avitus Group Stadium is also Jersey Day at MSUB. Wear a softball or baseball jersey to the game tomorrow and admission is just $2.00.
"
Jessyka MacDonald and
Amanda Roark both pitched great games today," MSUB head coach
Lisa Allen said. "In Game 1 our offense got the timely hits when we needed them and in Game 2 we were missing that. The team still hit the ball well but most of the time right to Western Oregon players. The defense continued to play solid in both games. We are looking forward to the games tomorrow as our seniors play their final game in Avitus Group Stadium."
