BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming off a split series with Central Washington last weekend, the Montana State University Billings softball team looks for redemption in its second series with the Western Oregon Wolves this weekend.
 
Times for both doubleheaders in the four-game series have changed to accommodate for another rainy weekend in Oregon. Saturday's doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. PT, then Sunday's action begins at noon. PT. All four games will be streamed on the WOU Athletics YouTube channel; all livestream and live stat links can be found on the softball team's schedule page on msubsports.com.
 
The Yellowjackets (8-14, 2-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) and the Wolves (13-12, 0-4 GNAC) had a four-game series on Feb. 26 and 27, yet the second day of doubleheaders was canceled due to inclement weather. WOU won both games in the first meeting, yet the Yellowjackets are coming into this weekend riding high. Trailing Central Washington 7-1 in the final game of the series last Saturday, MSUB put up eight runs in the top of the seventh inning – punctuated by Marin Penney's go-ahead grand slam and Jazlyn Kalehuawehe's solo home run – to win 9-7 and split the series.
 
"Coming back strong in the seventh inning gives you a really good confidence boost and can really show you what you're capable of as a team," MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney said of the comeback. "And I think we've always known we were capable. We continue to surprise ourselves. Obviously, coming back from a 7-1 deficit was a big thing to do, and it was awesome to see so many different people step up. Our usual big-time hitters came up with walks, which is what we needed in that moment. It was nice to see everyone shine in their own ways – even the pinch-runners who came in that inning. It was really nice to see that from the entire team."
 
In a sense, the comeback couldn't have come at a more opportune time: MSUB is looking for redemption after dropping a doubleheader to the Wolves on Feb. 26. And although the Yellowjackets couldn't get a chance to redeem themselves last time, the team has been more confident in practice as they prepare for the rematch this weekend.
 
"In practice this week, we've had more of a calm confidence about ourselves," McKinney said. "We want to see the team try to focus on that aspect of the game as we continue going through GNAC play."

Before the dramatic comeback, however, MSUB saw it all throughout the four-game series. The Yellowjackets cruised to a 9-1 five-inning win in game one thanks to a 3-for-3 showing from Alexis Tovar, a 2-for-2 line and 3 RBIs from Allie Hughes – plus Brittanee Fisher's 36^th career home run for good measure. Game two was a low-scoring affair: MSUB clung to a 2-0 lead going into the bottom of the sixth inning before the Wildcats put up six runs to win 6-2.
 
Saturday's games started with an exciting, back-and-forth game, in which the Yellowjackets rallied three times before Alyssa Benthagen hit a walk-off, three-run home run to give CWU a 9-6 win. Then in the series finale, MSUB fell behind 7-1 before opening the top of the seventh with four-straight walks, RBIs from Tovar and Maycen O'Neal, then Penney's grand slam. After Kalehuawehe's solo home run put the exclamation mark on the 9-7 win, Jenna Kister shut down the Wildcats on nine pitches to end it.
 
"Jenna's confidence has started to grow – even all the way back in the first Western Oregon series," McKinney said. "She really wanted the ball when our team was struggling in the [rainy] weather. I think she carried that confidence into the Central Washington weekend. The poise she had on the mound in game four was really big not only for herself, but also for the team. She's the one that set the tone in that inning, and we're looking forward to seeing more of that from her this weekend."
 
On offense throughout the series, Tovar and Hughes were two of the most consistent bats in the lineup. Tovar had three multi-hit games, hit .583 on the weekend and went 7-for-12 with three runs, two doubles and 2 RBIs. Hughes strung together her best stretch of the season so far, going 5-for-11, drawing two walks and getting on base in all four games.
 
"Allie did really well for us at the plate last weekend," McKinney said. "It seemed like she was seeing the ball better, was finding ways to put the ball in play, or get on base with walks, which is exactly what our team needed at times. It was fun to watch her gain confidence throughout the weekend and carry that momentum this week in practice too."
 
Rounding out the outfield, catcher-turned-centerfielder Skyler Jenkins also had a solid showing throughout last weekend's series. Batting in the leadoff spot and making her ninth start of the year in center field, the senior recorded hits in all four games – including a lead-off home run in game two for her first of the season.
 
"Skyler has always had the attitude of always doing what's best for the team," McKinney said. "She'll play literally anywhere she can to make sure she's in the lineup and help her team out. She's bought in to the outfield and she's really enjoying it out there. She seems really energetic. We're proud of her for coming in and filling that spot well."
 
LAST TIME OUT AGAINST WESTERN OREGON
Back on Feb. 26, the Yellowjackets and Wolves slogged through a rainy doubleheader that featured two rain delays and – to the detriment of MSUB – plenty of Western Oregon runs.
 
The Wolves took both games in the doubleheader in two five-inning contests, while the Yellowjackets couldn't find their rhythm and got two runs off a two-run homer from Marin Penney. After the first day, the rest of the series was canceled because heavy rain made the field unplayable.
 
Since that series, however, the Wolves have hit a rough patch. Western Oregon dropped three of its last five non-countable conference games against Western Washington and Saint Martin's, with the lone win coming in a 10-0 rout against Saint Martin's. In the first countable conference series, WOU got swept at Simon Fraser albeit with two runs coming in extra innings.
 
Yet the Wolves still boast the GNAC's top offense, leading the league with 137 runs scored, 208 hits and 125 RBIs. Kira McGlothan is coming off an 8-for-13 showing in the Simon Fraser series with three runs, a home run and 6 RBIs, while sophomore catcher Natalie Willoughby and senior second baseman Logan Carlos are the top two home run hitters in the GNAC with nine and 5 home runs, respectively.
 
Going into this weekend, WOU has a slim 38-37 edge in the all-time series over the 'Jackets. Last season, MSUB took three out of four games from the Wolves – including an improbable six-run, seventh-inning comeback in the final game of the series.
 
UP NEXT: First pitch of the MSUB-Western Oregon series is scheduled for 1 p.m. PT on Saturday, March 19. Sunday's doubleheader starts at noon. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the softball team's schedule page at msubsports.com