BILLINGS, Mont. – Alyssa Etheridge tossed a one-hit shutout to highlight a doubleheader split between the host Montana State University Billings and visiting Humboldt State University softball teams on Saturday afternoon at Avitus Group Stadium.
 
The right-hander gave up her only hit of the opening game in the top of the fourth inning, and the offense backed her to the tune of a 13-0, five-inning victory. The Lumberjacks picked up their first win of the season in the nightcap, evening the series with a 7-4 triumph. MSUB moved to 5-13 on the season with the split, while HSU started its campaign with a 1-1 record.
 
"We were feeling pretty good, and after that tough loss to Central we were all hungry to get back into it," said Etheridge. "We are just trying to have fun and let loose, and we are excited to be out here compared to last year with everything getting canceled. We are going to come out tomorrow and build off the positives that we had today."
 
Hailee Gregerson, Allie Hughes, and Marin Penney each homered in the opening game to highlight the team's most dominant performance of the season. "I'm really impressed with how the offense came out, and scoring those four runs in the first inning was big for us," McKinney said. "It was really good to see the team fight throughout and make the adjustment late in the game in Game 2. We talked about making that adjustment a little bit earlier, because I felt like our at-bats really improved from the fifth inning on."
 
Danica Grier, who had the lone hit off of Etheridge, went 3-for-6 in the doubleheader with a home run to stand out among the 'Jacks.
 
Game 1 – MSU Billings 13, Humboldt State 0 (5 Innings)
 
Etheridge needed just 55 pitches to complete her second-career shutout, striking out three along the way and issuing one walk in her five innings of work. Etheridge allowed just three total baserunners in the game, and picked up her second victory of the season. "Everything felt pretty good, and me and Tay found the groove," Etheridge said on her chemistry with catcher Taylor Anderson. "Big props to her, and she makes me look good a lot of the time."
 
MSUB jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, as Sidney Pollard roped a two-out, bases-clearing double into left center to make it a 4-0 ballgame in the bottom of the first. Gregerson's third home run of the week followed in the second inning, and the 'Jackets plated six more runs in the third to blow the game open.
 
MSUB's biggest inning of the day featured back-to-back bases-loaded walks drawn by Georgiabelle Benning and Brie Frazier, before Gregerson plated another run with a ground out. Hughes followed with a three-run blast to left field, as her team-leading fifth home run of the year made the score 12-0.
 
Penney drove the first pitch of the bottom of the fourth over the fence in right-center, with her third home run on the season capping off the scoring in the game.
 
After allowing the lone hit in the top of the fourth, Etheridge finished the game in style by striking out two hitters in the fifth and getting a ground ball to Penney at third base for the final out. "Lyss did great on the mound for us today," McKinney said. "Her pitches were moving well, and she is doing a good job of keeping the batters off balance."
 
Emily McAdams started for HSU, allowing eight runs on six hits with no strikeouts and one walk in two innings of work. Ava Hand faced four batters in her collegiate debut, before Megan Holt threw the final 1 2/3 innings to finish the game for the 'Jacks.
 
Game 2 – Humboldt State 7, MSU Billings 4
 
Humboldt State flipped the script and got out to a 5-0 lead through four innings of play, before withstanding a late MSUB rally and sealing off the victory.
 
Karen Di Dio went the distance in the circle for the 'Jacks, allowing four runs on nine hits with six strikeouts and no walks. Grier and Izzy Starr each went 2-for-4, and HSU made the most of five MSUB errors which led to four unearned runs.
 
Alyssa Ramirez plated the first run of the game with a double to right-center before Jenna Sobrero followed with an infield RBI-single and a ground out from Micaela Harris made the score 3-0 in the top of the second inning.
 
Starr had an RBI-single in the third and the 'Jacks executed a double-steal in the fourth to build a 5-0 cushion in support of Di Dio. The right-hander allowed just two baserunners over the first four innings of the game, as she put a hold on the Yellowjacket offense fresh off its highest run output of the season.
 
MSUB broke through in the fifth on a pinch-hit, RBI-single from Payton Reynolds, before pulling within a single run with a three-run sixth inning. Frazier led the frame off with a single, before Hughes, Sydney Norwood, and Pollard each had run-scoring hits in the inning.
 
Grier's homer led off the top of the seventh, and a defensive miscue allowed another run to score as the 'Jacks swiped momentum back and provided Di Dio with some breathing room. The HSU pitcher retired the side in order in the bottom of the seventh, helping ensure the doubleheader split.
 
Julia Qualteri was dealt a tough loss for MSUB, as only three of the seven runs she allowed in six good innings of work were earned. The right-hander had one strikeout and two walks, while scattering nine hits and throwing 93 pitches. Jenna Kister finished the game getting the final three outs in the seventh. "Julia had a pretty good game pitching wise, but defensively we needed to make a few more plays," McKinney said. "There were some really big, clutch outs that she got during the game, so that was really good to see from her."
 
Norwood led MSUB at the plate going 3-for-3 with a triple, while Pollard and Frazier had two hits apiece. "Today we did really well with our bats, especially in the first game," Norwood said. "I tried to keep my mind pretty simple, and the only thing on my mind was staying short to the ball. Making hard contact has been my approach for this week, and I'm really glad I was able to bring that into today."
 
THE BUZZ: Etheridge was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…her other shutout came on April 27, 2019 when she allowed just three hits in a five-inning, 9-0 win over Simon Fraser University…Hughes' home run was the 15th of her career…MSUB is now 5-20 all-time against Humboldt State…Saturday marked the first-ever games between the teams played in Billings.
 
NEXT UP: The series concludes on Sunday with an 11 a.m. first pitch for another doubleheader. Live video will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here. "Tomorrow we are definitely going to come in just as hard as we came in today, and fix what we need to," Norwood said.