BILLINGS, Mont. – With an eager young squad and a daunting 38 road games, the Montana State University Billings softball team (15-31, 8-20 GNAC) struggled to gain traction against conference opponents in 2019 but ended on a high note to finish seventh in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. The 'Jackets obtained a multitude of highlights but could not find the consistency needed to make the four-team conference tournament. Two losing streaks of six or more and just one winning series in the conference eventually took their toll.
 
Despite a four-game sweep of Simon Fraser University at home to close the year, MSU Billings went just 2-18 on the road and 8-10 at neutral sites after starting the year with 34 straight games away from Avitus Group Stadium and the city of Billings.
 
The 'Jackets hosted the 10^th annual Desert Stinger Tournament in Las Vegas to begin the 2019 campaign and won two of three games before rain cancelled matchups with Minot State and California State Dominguez Hills. MSUB snagged three wins against Hawaii Pacific University thereafter but finished 2-3 in the Dixie State Tournament in St. George, Utah. In the middle of February, the 'Jackets lost a season high eight in a row, including a pair of shutout defeats to Western Washington University.
 
 
MSUB broke the streak with a decisive 8-1 win at Saint Martin's University on March 8. Freshman right-hander Alyssa Etheridge tossed the first seven inning no-hitter in school history after she faced 29 batters. Etheridge allowed one unearned run, walked seven, and struck out five in the historic performance and garnered GNAC player of the week. After the season, Etheridge also won moment/play of the year at the 2019 athletic department Buzzie awards.


 
After taking one of four games against SMU and splitting a weather makeup doubleheader against Western Oregon University, the 'Jackets went 1-4 in the Tournament of Champions against five Division II California schools. The highlight of the tournament was a 2-0 win over No. 13 Chico State University in which junior Maddy Lincoln pitched a shutout and Morgan Quimby delivered clutch hits to help MSUB take down a ranked opponent for the first time since February, 2016.
 
In April, the team returned to conference competition. Concordia University took three of four in back-to-back doubleheaders and the 'Jackets lost a pair of run-rule shortened affairs to Western Oregon 12-0 and 11-1. Finally home after 34 straight games, MSUB improved its play in four games against perennial GNAC contender Central Washington and won one of the four contests. The win canceled CWU's six game win streak. Etheridge limited the Wildcats to one run and eight hits and threw a complete game. The 'Jackets scored 21 runs against CWU in the series (5.2 runs per game).
 
The following weekend, the 'Jackets endured four straight losses to Northwest Nazarene and were outscored 39-2 in the process. Tied for last place entering the final weekend, MSUB snuck past Simon Fraser University with a four game sweep to climb out of the cellar. They capped a nostalgic senior day celebration with a 9-0, five inning victory to enter the off-season on a winning note.
 
 
Seniors Kelsee Bushell, Shayla Felix, and Madison Kelly each made contributions to the doubleheader win on senior day with the longest tenured 'Jacket, Kelly completing four seasons with the team. Felix started game one at catcher and recorded the final out. Kelly started game two and caught a pop fly to end game two.
 
Kelly was a staple in the Yellowjacket lineup and became the starting catcher as a sophomore. She finished third on the team with a .276 batting average after starting 39 games. Kelly also held a .439 slugging percentage and .336 on base percentage. She posted three doubles in a game against Concordia on April 7 and marked a career high three runs batted in versus Central Washington on April 14. Kelly improved her batting average in each of her four seasons and was recognized as honorable mention all-conference.
 
Felix continued as the 'Jackets backup catcher in her senior season and saw action in 15 games with 13 starts behind the plate. She hit .194 in 36 at bats with five runs scored, seven hits, four doubles, and six runs batted in. Injuries forced Bushell into just 11 starts for MSUB this spring, but she managed a multi-hit game against Saint Martin's on March 8 and returned to the diamond to record a single against Simon Fraser on senior day. She was named GNAC all-academic and remained a vocal leader on and off the field for the 'Jackets throughout her senior season.
 
Allie Hughes led the Yellowjacket offense and earned second team all-conference for her efforts. Hughes starts all 46 games in the outfield and hit a team high .288 with nine doubles, one triple, and six home runs. She also led the team with 23 runs batted in and held a .520 slugging percentage. With 13 multi-hit games, Hughes reached base in eight straight games and is expected to return as a junior in 2020.
 
 
Jolene House hit .348 in 25 starts in the outfield and was named an all-GNAC honorable mention. Had House played more games and continued her offensive pace, she may have been in the conversation for first of second team all-conference. House finished with 24 hits, two doubles, and three runs batted in. She slugged .377 with a team leading .416 on base percentage. House also recorded three hits against Central Washington on April 13.
 
 
First baseman Brittanee Fisher followed her strong freshman campaign with 46 starts in 2019. Fisher hit .268 with 33 hits, nine doubles, six home runs, and 22 runs batted in. She also slugged .488 and held a .985 fielding percentage (15^th GNAC) with 322 putouts and five errors.
 
A number of freshman played important starting roles on the Yellowjacket softball team in 2019 and provided reasons for optimism looking into the future of the program. Second baseman Cailee Morgan hit lead-off as a true freshman and started 45 games. A native of Dewey, Arizona, Morgan hit .278 (second) in 133 at bats with four doubles, three triples (first), and 13 runs batted in. She also slugged .353 and held an on base percentage of .380. Though MSUB was not known for its speed on the base paths this spring, Morgan was the exception with six stolen bases in seven attempts. She also held a .957 fielding percentage and put up 10 multi-hit games, including a three-hit outing against Hawaii Pacific on February 3, in which she recorded a triple and a run batted in.
 
Freshman Rylan Austin hit over .300 through the first half of the season and ended with a respectable .250 AVG through 46 games. Austin made 25 starts in right field and hit between second and third in the order. There, Austin had 34 hits, five doubles, two home runs, and 13 runs batted in with a .331 slugging percentage and a .307 on base percentage. In the field, Austin made seven errors for a fielding percentage of .883. She also recorded eight multi-hit games and had three hits and a home run against California State San Marcos on March 29. Austin made one start at pitcher and recorded four strikeouts in a pair of appearances.
 
Sidney Pollard joined the Yellowjackets out of Raymond, Washington and impressed as a true freshman. Pollard played 37 games (34 starts) in a combination of shortstop and right field. She hit .275 (fourth) with six doubles (third), one triple, and 15 runs batted in (fourth). Pollard will be looking to build on her .363 slugging percentage and .902 fielding percentage next season for MSUB.
 
 
Payton Reynolds started the year with a hot bat and parlayed six runs batted in and a home run into a selection to the Desert Stinger all-tournament team. Reynolds ended with 40 starts at third base with a team leading seven home runs. She hit .222 and held an OPS of .864 with 17 runs scored, 22 hits, five doubles, and 18 runs batted in (third). She also slugged .485 and reached base at a .416 clip.
 
The Yellowjackets struggled from a lack of pitching depth, which forced starters Lincoln and Etheridge to log long innings on a frequent basis. Given the challenge, both put up strong numbers in select outings throughout the year.
 
Lincoln followed her strong sophomore season with a 4-14 record in 2019 along with a 4.79 ERA. Lincoln made 24 appearances with 18 starts and completed 15 games with two shutouts. In 117.0 innings pitched, Lincoln allowed 80 earned runs, 31 doubles, one triple, and eight home runs. She struck out a team high 82 hitters, walked 42, and earned all-GNAC academic for the second straight year.
 
Etheridge led all pitchers with 28 appearances and 19 starts. She marked a 5.10 earned run average (15^th GNAC) and 9-11 record with 12 complete games, one complete game shutout, and one save. Over 120.2 innings, Etheridge allowed 88 earned runs, walked 99 and struck out 72. She fanned a season high six Concordia batters on April seventh and threw the first no-hitter in school history on the road March 8. Etheridge also won GNAC pitcher of the week for March 4-10.
Haley Couch was the primary bullpen option for the team and improved her ERA from 7.24 in 2018 to 6.45 this season. Couch had a 2-4 record with 14 appearances and eight starts. In 42.1 innings pitched, she allowed 39 earned runs, 23 doubles, three triples, and seven home runs. Couch also walked eight and struck out 10. Her best outing came February 7 against Fort Lewis College where she threw 6.0 innings in St. George without allowing up an earned run and struck out three.
 
MSUB hit .259 (last) as a team and held a 5.20 ERA (sixth). They struggled to make plays in the field in the first month of the spring but steadily improved and played much better defense late, especially in two home series against Central Washington and Simon Fraser. The 'Jackets ended with 856 putouts and made 70 errors for a .946 fielding percentage (seventh).
 
Morgan's three triples tied her for fifth in the conference and Fisher's 21 walks was good for fourth. Both Etheridge and Lincoln cracked the top-10 list for innings pitched at seventh and eighth respectively. Lincoln also tied for fourth in the league with 15 complete games.
 
For the second straight season, Georgiabelle Benning was used as a base-running threat and occasional outfielder. She made 25 appearances with 18 starts. Benning hit .205 with one triple and nine runs batted in. She extracted two hits and a stolen base in the March 8 contest against Saint Martin's and was awarded academic all-GNAC in her first eligible season.
 
Freshman utility player Skyler Jenkins appeared in 16 games and hit .286 with one double, two home runs, and five runs driven in. Junior Hailee Gregerson had 18 starts in her first season with the team and made a positive impact. Gregerson hit .263 with one double, three home runs, and 11 runs batted in. She made 14 starts in right field and five as the designated player. Morgan Quimby (26 games played) and Sydney Norwood (one game played) also appeared this spring on the diamond.
 
The Yellowjackets played some of their best softball against ranked teams and top GNAC opponents in 2019. The trend began with a 2-1, eight inning loss to No. 17 Dixie State University, where MSUB pushed the Trailblazers to the brink. In the extra frame, Dixie State pushed across the winning run on a single through the left side. The placed runner on second base scored on the play. A month later, Maddy Lincoln allowed just three hits in a 2-0 win over No. 13 Chico State University. The Wildcats are now No. 3 in the NCAA Division II west region rankings.
 
The Yellowjackets combined for 21 runs in four games against eventual GNAC regular season champions Central Washington University, including a 5-1 win on April 14.
 
The Yellowjackets experienced the growing pains of having a young team and heavy road schedule in 2019, but the future remains bright heading into 2020. Seven of nine starters will return and six recruits have penned National letters of intent as of May 23, 2019.