BILLINGS, Mont. – Salvaging a split on the opening day of a four-game Great Northwest Athletic Conference series against Western Oregon University, the host Montana State University Billings softball team rallied to win Game 2 after the visitors took the opener on Saturday at Avitus Group Stadium.
 
Western Oregon withstood a furious Yellowjacket comeback attempt to claim a 10-7 victory in the opener, before the Yellowjackets rode another solid complete-game performance by right-hander Julia Qualteri to a 10-5 win in Game 2.
 
"Our bats didn't quite come alive in the first game, but we saw it at the end," senior first baseman Brittanee Fisher said. "We came into the second game ready to hit, and it showed on the scoreboard today. We kept the pedal to the metal, and didn't let up once we got ahead which was really awesome to see."
 
The Yellowjackets moved to 7-19 overall with the split and are now 3-7 in conference games, while Western Oregon pushed its record to 9-9 overall and 5-5 in league play. "The team made a really good adjustment, and we came out strong with our bats early in the game which was nice to see," said MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney. "The offense did a good job of putting a couple runs up every inning, and we hit a lot of shots and made their defense work. I'd like to see the team continue to do what they did today, and we played really good team softball."
 
Allie Hughes hit a home run in each game to up her team-leading season total to eight long balls, Marin Penney hit her fourth homer of the year in Game 1, and Fisher clobbered the 28th of her career and her eighth of the year to help seal the Game 2 victory. Qualteri logged the victory in Game 2, throwing 110 pitches and going the distance to help MSUB end the day on a positive note. "I try to keep my confidence high most of the time, and it's always the goal to know you can do that every single time," Qualteri commented on tossing her second-straight complete game. "It always helps to have amazing girls behind me, and that's where a lot of my confidence comes from."


 
Game 1 – Western Oregon 10, MSU Billings 7
 
The Wolves got off to a hot start, scoring three times in the first and second innings to pull ahead 6-1 early. The Yellowjackets rallied late with a five-run fifth inning, but by then the game was out of reach as WOU finished strong to claim the opener.
 
WOU starter Maddie Mayer allowed seven runs on seven hits with two strikeouts and a pair of walks in five innings of work, before handing the ball off to Nicki Derrick. The latter earned her first save of the season, finishing the game with three strikeouts and two hits allowed in two shutout innings of work.
 
MSUB got the tying run on in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases when Penney drew a two-out walk. Derrick buckled down however and ended the threat with a popup as the Wolves escaped with the win.
 
MSUB's big fifth inning was highlighted by Hughes's first home run of the day, a three-run shot to left field that got the 'Jackets within two down 9-7. A solo home run by Mariah Hyre in the top of the sixth helped the Wolves gain breathing room however, and the 'Jackets failed to score after Hughes's homer.
 
Erica Soliz and Sydney Bowers each went 3-for-4 in the opener, while Chandler Bishop hit a three-run home run to lead WOU offensively.
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 10, Western Oregon 5
 
Despite falling behind 3-0 after the top of the second inning, the Yellowjackets scored the next nine runs of the game to help ensure the victory behind Qualteri.
 
Bishop's second home run of the day was a solo shot in the top of the first, and after RBI-singles off the bats of Allyson Drury and Aleya Turner, the Wolves led 3-0. Qualteri retired 11 of the next 13 hitters however, allowing just two baserunners in the third-through sixth innings. That gave MSUB's offense room to come alive, and they rewarded their right-hander with enough firepower to win the game. "You can't ask for any better response than to come out and get a lead like that," Qualteri commented on the Yellowjackets' hot start in Game 2. "We just came out swinging, and I was super proud of all those home runs and big, line-drive hits."
 
Qualteri finished the day with five runs allowed on 10 hits, while striking out two and issuing zero walks. "Julia did a great job on the mound today," McKinney said. "She did a good job of keeping them off-balance. In that last inning they hit her a little bit harder, but she found a way to get out of it and I think that's going to be good for us in the long run."
 
Sidney Pollard and Sydney Norwood had RBIs in the second inning, before Hughes hit a two-run homer to left in the third to give the 'Jackets a 4-3 lead. Taylor Anderson followed with a two-run single as MSUB capped off a four-run frame to shift momentum.
 
Penney ripped an RBI-single up the middle in the fourth, and Pollard followed by shooting the gap in right-center for a two-run double that pushed the 'Jackets in front 9-3.
 
The final blow of the day was the loudest, as Fisher crushed a solo home run well over the fence in left field and into the side of the hill in the bottom of the sixth inning. "We had talked to her earlier about going up there and swinging like Brittanee does," McKinney commented on the senior slugger. "We talked about her just going up and being herself, and she did a great job doing that."
 
Drury led off the seventh with a home run and Kiley Lynn had an RBI-single, as Western Oregon refused to give up and battled to scratch out a pair of runs in the seventh. With runners on the corners and two outs, Qualteri gutted out a nine-pitch at-bat against Bowers before finally getting the Wolves' slugger to ground out to Fisher and end the contest. "She has been having a great time out here, and we are super proud of her," Fisher commented on the sophomore right-hander. "Coming in as a young pitcher, she is really doing her job."
 
Penney and Pollard each went 3-for-3 at the plate to lead the Yellowjackets, who had their second-highest hit total of the season with 15 in the game.
 
THE BUZZ: Hughes was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…with her two homers, Hughes now has 18 in her career as she moved into a tie for No. 13 in school history…Fisher's 28th career home run moved her one away from No. 5 Meg Harasymczuk in the all-time ranks.
 
COMING UP: The series concludes on Sunday with a noon doubleheader at Avitus Group Stadium. Live video will be available online here and live statistics will be available online here.