BILLINGS, Mont. – After being outmuscled 11-5 in game one, the Montana State University Billings softball team held off Central Washington University 5-1 in game two for a doubleheader split Sunday afternoon at Avitus Group Stadium in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The MSUB win marked the end of notable streaks on both sides of the diamond. The Wildcats had their streak of six straight wins cancelled. For the Yellowjackets, it marked the first home win of the season and the first win over Central Washington since 2015, ending a jaunt of 14 straight losses.
 
Game one was headlined by the Wildcat offense, who produced a GNAC 2019 single game high 23 hits to down MSUB. Katie Kastning, Maddy Zerr, and Julia Reuble all recorded four hits games for CWU.
 
Game two saw the 'Jackets shut out the Wildcats for six innings after Alyssa Etheridge delivered a complete game and allowed just one earned run on eight hits.
 
"I think we really stuck with the process in game two to get the win," said head coach Jessica Rayman. "The girls really bought in. We were consistent all four games offensively and it was just a matter of time before our pitching and defense came around. I told Alyssa (Etheridge) before game two, just do your thing and you'll be fine out there. Don't try to change who you are. She did such a good job of getting aggressive hitters to chase and we know Central Washington really hits the ball well. She changed up her speeds and really hit her spots for us."
 
Montana State Billings (11-27, 4-16 GNAC) snapped a six game losing skid and moved into a tie with Simon Fraser (9-22, 4-16 GNAC) for seventh place in the conference. Central Washington (25-13, 16-4 GNAC) kept a three game lead over Western Washington for first place in the GNAC with the split.
 
Game 1 – MSU Billings 5, Central Washington 11
 
The Wildcats posted a GNAC single game season high 21 hits to beat the Yellowjackets 11-5 in a lengthy game one at Avitus Group Stadium. MSU Billings sent four pitchers to the circle in the first two innings and both teams sat through a one hour, 17 minute rain delay in the middle of the second. Maddy Zerr led Central Washington and went 4-for-5 with three runs batted in, two runs scored, and two home runs. Katie Kastning also went 4-for-5 with two runs batted, three runs scored, and one home run.
 
MSUB's pitching struggles began almost immediately. Rylan Austin got just one out before allowing three earned runs in the first inning on three hits. Maddy Lincoln was inserted in relief but surrendered three singles and a walk before getting a line out from Savannah Egbert to end the first. Haley Couch came in to pitch in the second following the delay and gave up back-to-back solo home runs to Zerr and Julia Reuble before being pulled for Alyssa Etheridge. Central Washington added two more runs in the fourth to lead 8-1 before MSUB put up four in the bottom of the inning.
 
Allie Hughes doubled down the left field line with one out and Payton Reynolds singled to put runners on the corners. Brittanee Fisher singled to right field to score Hughes and Madison Kelly popped a three-run home run to right center to get the Yellowjackets within three runs at 8-5.
 
Hits continued to pile up for the Wildcats in the later innings. Zerr hit a two run homer to left field in the top of the fourth and Reuble singled through the right side to score a run in the fifth. Egbert capped a two run sixth for CWU with a double into the right field corner. Trailing by six, Jolene House and Cailee Morgan grounded out in the seventh. Hughes' ground ball to shortstop resulted in a fielder's choice to end the game.
 
"I think they (Central Washington) got some timely hitting early and we just couldn't quite figure out our pitching," Rayman said of game one. "They took the momentum early and then ended up hitting all of our pitchers hard throughout."
 
Overshadowed by the Wildcat bats, MSU Billings strung together a good offensive game with 10 hits and five runs. House, Hughes, and Fisher each recorded multi-hit games and Kelly's home run resulted in a season high three runs batted in.
 
Lexie Strasser (11-8) picked up her second win in the circle over MSUB in as many days. Strasser pitched 5.0 innings and allowed five runs (all earned) on eight hits, walked zero, and struck out four. Rylan Austin (0-2) took the loss in her second pitching appearance of the season. She threw 0.1 innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits, walked zero, and struck out zero. She faced four batters.
 
The two teams combined for 31 runs, the most combined runs scored by two teams in any single game this season in the GNAC.
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 5, Central Washington 1
 
In a game that stayed scoreless through two and a half innings, the Yellowjackets broke the deadlock in the third and held off a late charge from the Wildcats to win 5-1. Cailee Morgan began the bottom of the third with a single through the right side of the infield.
 
Austin advanced a base on a sacrifice bunt and then another on a fly out by Rylan Austin. Starting pitcher Isabel Womack threw a pitch high to the backstop and Morgan scored for a 1-0 lead. After Hughes and Payton Reynolds both walked, Hailee Gregerson reached on an error at shortstop and Fisher singled up the middle to score Hughes.
 
Etheridge pounded the strike zone in the circle for MSUB, pitching to contact and allowing the defense to make plays behind her. The Yellowjackets added a run of support in the fifth when Reynolds smashed a solo home run over the left field wall, just past the outstretched glove of Kayla Smith, who came close to robbing the long ball.
 
MSUB loaded the bases in the bottom of inning six and Hughes singled to shortstop to score Austin. An error was also scored on the play which enabled Kelly to also score, giving MSUB a 5-0 advantage heading into the final frame.
 
Rachel Johnson immediately doubled into the left field corner for CWU to start the seventh. Egbert singled to left field to put runners on the corners. Then Etheridge got Kastning to pop up to shortstop and Smith grounded to short, resulting in a fielder's choice force out at second. With two outs, Reuble popped up a pitch behind home plate that was easily grabbed by Kelly to end the threat and the game.
 
Etheridge (6-9) picked up the win after going 7.0 innings. She allowed one run on eight hits, walked two, and struck out zero after facing 31 hitters. Womack (1-2) took the loss after 2.2 innings. She surrendered two runs (zero earned) on four hits, walked three, and struck out one.
 
"It was so nice to see us get rewarded with a win in game four of the series after we played well but didn't win throughout the rest of the series," said Rayman. "We showed a lot of fight in that game which was really positive for us."
 
UP NEXT: Montana State Billings is back on the road next weekend for a four game series against Northwest Nazarene University. First pitch is 2 p.m. on Friday, April 19 in game one of the first doubleheader. The Yellowjackets finish the regular season at home on April 26-27 against Simon Fraser University.

THE BUZZ: Madison Kelly was named St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the day after her three-run home run in game one of Sunday's doubleheader.