TURLOCK, Calif. – Down 6-1, MSUB fought its way back to a tie game to send the first contest of the day against Dominican University (California) into an extra inning, falling by a single run 8-7 (8 innings). In the nightcap, MSU Billings ran up against a solid No. 3 Humboldt State team that worked its way to a 9-1 (5 innings) win over the Yellowjackets to end the final day at the Tournament of Champions presented by the City of Turlock, hosted by Stanislaus State, Sunday.
 
Montana State University Billings (10-24) ended its last day at the 2016 Tournament of Champions in California with a pair of losses. The Yellowjackets were behind by five runs in the first game against Dominican, but caught up in the fourth inning. Tied at the end of the seventh inning, MSUB forced an extra inning and scored a run to take the lead, but DU was able to counter at the bottom of the inning with two runs.
 
Against No. 3 Humboldt State (31-2-1), the Yellowjackets were up against a team that hasn't dropped a game since Apr. 15, and swept through the tournament undefeated at 6-0. HSU played six of the eight Great Northwest Athletic Conference teams in attendance at the tournament, not facing Simon Fraser or Western Washington.
 
"The team battled very well in Game 1 against Dominican," MSUB head coach Rebekah Gasner said. "Our hitters adjusted well to both pitchers in that game. They found their timing at the plate and moved runners. Taylor came in and shut-down their hitters well. She got a lot of results and our defense played well behind her. In Game 2 against Humboldt we just couldn't find gaps in the infield. Overall, they came out more aggressive than we did and it showed."
 
Game 1: MSUB 7, Dominican (California) 8 (8 innings)
 
Junior Nicole Tiffany found a good time to make her home run debut as a Yellowjacket with a game-tying bomb in the fourth inning.
 
Dominican University (12-23) opened the game with two big innings. The Penguins scored six runs on nine hits to lead the game 6-1 after two complete innings.
 
At the top of the third inning, the 'Jackets closed the score to two runs. The first two batters in the lineup, Cori Gammon and Bella Rovens, singled and Heather Tracy safely reached first on an error to load the bases for clean-up hitter Cameron Cassinelli.
 
The first baseman hit a 2-RBI single to center field, plating Gammon and Rovens and putting Tracy on third. Designated player Tiffany brought-in Tracy on a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
The Penguins loaded the bases in the bottom of the fourth inning, but the MSUB defense made two big plays to hold DU without any more runs. After a pitching change from MSU Billings, the Penguins tried a bunt, but third baseman Kelsey Devlin was ready, and made the throw to catcher Haley Rowe to make the play on the runner heading for home.
 
From left field, Gammon came up big with the next two outs. She snagged a fly ball hit into left and then making the throw home to Rowe, caught another advancing player trying to cross home plate.
 
MSUB tied the score at the top of the fifth inning. Tracy laid down a bunt single and advanced to second base on a throwing error. Tiffany tied the score with a 2-RBI home run to left center.
 
MSUB had runners in scoring position at the top of the seventh inning with singles from Myrissa Prince and Delvin, however the score remained tied through two more innings.
 
At the top of the eighth inning, MSUB pinch runner Amanda Barham went to second base for the international tie-break rule. On two outs, center fielder Bella Rovens hit a long single to center field that scored Barham from second to push the 'Jackets ahead by one, 8-7.
 
Dominican moved its runner on second base over with a sacrifice bunt to lead-off the bottom of the eighth inning. Next up, shortstop Catlyn Cavender tied the game with a RBI-single up the middle. First baseman Hannah Cheek provided the game-winning RBI single to center field that brought in the runner from third.
 
Dominican outhit MSUB 15-12. MSU Billings stranded nine runners while the Penguins left eight. DU committed four errors, while the 'Jackets had one.
 
Prince finished 3-for-4 in the game for MSUB. Rovens batted 3-for-5 and Gammon 2-for-5.
 
St. Vincent Healthcare Athlete of the Day, Tiffany, was 1-for-2 and led the team in RBI with 3 on her 2-RBI home run and the sacrifice fly in the third inning. Cassinelli had 2 RBI and Rovens one.
 
Amanda Roark began the game in the circle for MSU Billings, tossing 2 innings and facing three batters at the top of the third. Relief pitcher Taylor Tokach came into the game and gave a great effort, tossing 5 and 1/3 innings. She held the Penguins to five hits allowing one earned run.
 
Game 2: MSUB 1, No. 3 HSU 9 (5 innings)
 
The Yellowjackets tied the game at the top of the third inning with a solo home run from Devlin, but No. 3 Humboldt State went to work in the next three innings scoring runs in each to earn eight more runs and end the game in shortened innings on the 8-run mercy rule.
 
The Yellowjackets were limited to three hits on HSU pitcher Madison Williams (15-1).
 
Tracy was effective at the plate, batting 2-for-2 in the game, including a triple down the right field line in the fourth inning.
 
Devlin's home run was the junior's seventh on the season.
 
The No. 3 Lumberjacks plated nine runs on eight hits. Hanna Holland was 3-for-3 with 3 runs and 3 RBI. Breonna Bejaran hit a solo home run.
 
In 5 innings of work, Williams scattered three hits with one earned runs while fanning seven.
 
Roark (3-12) earned the loss in 3 and 1/3 innings scattering four hits and allowing six runs. Tokach came into the game for 1 and 1/3 innings, scattering four hits with three earned runs.
 
THE BUZZ: MSU Billings finished the 2016 Tournament of Champions with a 1-5 overall record playing six games across the 3-day tournament…the Yellowjackets played two games to 8 innings – San Francisco State and Dominican…MSUB had the most hits against Dominican with 12…the 'Jackets had two home runs against UC San Diego…MSUB walked four times against Azusa Pacific…the MSUB defense was error-free in the game against Cal State East Bay.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB returns to GNAC play next week on the road. The Yellowjackets head to Central Washington for a four-game series Apr. 8-9, followed by a four-game series against Western Oregon Apr. 11-12.
 
"We have a shortened week to recover before we head back out on the road to face Central Washington and Western Oregon," Gasner said. "We are looking forward to getting back into conference games and finishing the second half of our season on a positive note."