BILLINGS, Mont. – Having played 31 of its 39 games away from home at Avitus Group Stadium, the Montana State University Billings softball team is no stranger to playing on the road.
 
So when a two-day snowstorm rolled through Billings and put the final homestand of the year against Saint Martin's in jeopardy, both schools – with an assist from the University of Montana – made a last-second change and moved the series to Grizzly Softball Field in Missoula, Mont. this Thursday and Friday.
 
Thursday's doubleheader will start at 1 p.m. and Friday's will start at 12 p.m. Senior day festivities will be in between Friday's doubleheader. The Yellowjackets will still be the designated home team in both games. All four games will be livestreamed and will have live stats; links can be found on the softball team's schedule page at msubsports.com.
 
But for the three fifth-year seniors and the three seniors, this last-second change that prevented them from playing four more games at their home field was yet another obstacle for them to overcome.
 
Brittanee Fisher, Allie Hughes, Skyler Jenkins, Sydney Norwood, Sidney Pollard and Morgan Quimby have experienced quite a bit of adversity throughout their collegiate softball careers. Between a coaching change, the coronavirus pandemic canceling the 2020 season 23 games in, then playing a shortened 2021 season that didn't feature any of the usual non-conference tournaments, the six Yellowjacket seniors' journeys to this point have been anything but easy or predictable.
 
Yet in MSUB head softball coach Lisa McKinney's eyes, these six seniors have showed perseverance and resiliency every step of the way.
 
"This group has not had an easy go of it," MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney said. "They had one year with one head coach, then the next year, they had another one. Then COVID-19 hit us – and even in the year after that, we had a reduced schedule. Now we're finally back to a full schedule, and their Senior Day gets moved. This group is really resilient and goes with the adversity as it has been given to them."
 
"I think all six seniors will be extremely strong as people, given what they've gone through as players," McKinney added. "We've seen that growth in them as women as they've gone through each challenge. I know when they go out into the real world, they're going to handle everything that's thrown at them based on their experience of what they've gone through at MSUB."
 
Of that group, Fisher, Hughes and Norwood have led the way as fifth-year seniors. Fisher, in particular, has put together one of the most decorated careers in MSUB softball history. The 2021 First Team All-GNAC and Second-Team All-NFCA selection from Billings ranks second all-time with 39 home runs, fifth in slugging percentage (.558) and is ninth in fielding percentage (.977) while starting at third and first base. This year, she leads the Yellowjackets in virtually every offensive category amongst qualified hitters, including batting average (.337), OPS (1.113), on-base percentage (.471), hits (32), runs (19), RBIs (22), home runs (8) and walks drawn (20).
 
"I've known Brittanee for a really long time – all the way back when she was a young girl playing softball here in Billings," McKinney said. "It's been really fun to watch her grow up. I've always teased her when she was young about hitting the ball oppo, and I think it's pretty fitting that she's hit a lot of her home runs to the opposite side of the field. It's been fun to see her turn into the leader she is today, and I'm really excited to see what she's going to do in the future. I think she's going to become a softball coach at some level, so I'm excited to see how she gives back."
 
Fellow fifth-year senior and five-year starter Allie Hughes has been a mainstay in the 'Jacket lineup – and that might be an understatement. The outfielder from Sparks, Nev. has started in all but 10 of the 175 games she has played. After earning All-GNAC Second Team honors as a sophomore, she was an All-GNAC First Team selection last year as a senior. All told, Hughes ranks eighth in school history with 93 runs scored, 13^th with 19 home runs, plus she tied the school record for four hits in a single game on March 7, 2020 against Simon Fraser.
 
"Allie is a super hard worker and she leads by example," McKinney said. "She's been really solid for us in left field and at the plate, where she comes up with a lot of clutch hits. She's a hard worker on and off the softball field – she's a great student, and I know she's already been accepted to grad school."
 
"I'm excited that she's going down that path and that she's going to stay in Montana – it's always good to see another Nevada girl stick around in Montana," McKinney added.
 
A fellow Billings native, Sydney Norwood rounds out the fifth-year seniors honored this week. A two-time Academic All-GNAC selection, Norwood has started in four of the 10 games in which she has played this year. Last season against Carroll College, she had a career-high 3 RBIs off a three-run home run against Carroll College on March 3, then she had a career-high three hits against Humboldt State later that month.
 
"Sydney leads by example, she's a great teammate and she's always taking care of people," McKinney said. "People joke around that she's the professional hairstylist on the team. She's such a good example of someone who constantly gives to her teammates and I think she's always excited for them and their successes. She continues to work hard. Over the years I've seen her, I've seen her defense really improve and she's not afraid to dive for anything. Her swing has come a long ways in the three years I've known her, and she's been really fun to watch grow into more of a leadership role."
 
Friday also marks the senior day for three four-year seniors: Sidney Pollard, Morgan Quimby and Skyler Jenkins. Pollard, a shortstop from Raymond Washington, was a Second Team All-GNAC selection last year and has provided several highlight plays on offense and defense this year. She scored an inside-the-park home run against Academy of Art at the Desert Stinger on Feb. 11, plus she has helped turn three double plays this season. Pollard also has the fourth-most RBIs on the team (15) and is tied for the team-lead with five doubles.
 
"Sidney has really grown as a vocal leader on this team," McKinney said. "When I first got here, she was really quiet. We've talked a lot about what a shortstop's role is, and I think she's really bought in to that position and that role of holding the infield accountable. It's been fun to watch her grow up from the quiet shortstop to the more vocal shortstop. Over the past few years, she's really improved her swing, but what I'm really impressed with is her growth as a person. I'm excited to see where she goes from here."
 
Playing alongside Pollard in the middle infield, Morgan Quimby has been MSUB's starting second baseman since her sophomore year. This year, Quimby has four multi-hit games – including a 3-for-4 game against Regis at the Desert Stinger on Feb. 13. One of MSUB's most vocal leaders on the field and in the dugout, Quimby is currently eighth in the GNAC with six double plays fielded and 15^th in assists with 53.
 
"When I came in, Mo Quimby was fighting for a spot and was trying to figure things out," McKinney said. "I think she's really figured things out and she has become a huge leader for this team. She's been a great liaison between the coaches and the players for the last few years, and she's done an amazing job of trying to lead this team when everyone was trying to figure out how to become leaders in this program. She's always been the sparkplug on this team. She's always been one of the loudest ones, and she does that day in and day out."
 
Skyler Jenkins rounds out the MSUB seniors. The senior from Poston Butte, Ariz. was MSUB's starting catcher going into her senior year, yet she moved to the outfield and thrived. Jenkins has made a team-high 21 starts in center field with several highlight plays along the way. Her career .952 fielding percentage ranks 20^th in MSUB history, and she is one of two players to start at four different positions this year.
 
"Skyler has been so versatile to us," McKinney said. "It's been so big for our team for her to play as many positions as she has – from catcher to outfield and to second base. I think that goes to show how much of a utility player she is, and how much she is willing to play in any spot for her team. She's done an especially good job of playing in the outfield, tracking down balls and throwing out runners. She has had a few outfield assists, which is fairly uncommon for outfielders to have, yet she's had a few of them already in her first year."
 
In addition to her versatility this season, Jenkins has been MSUB's leadoff hitter for the first time in her career. Going into this weekend, Jenkins has an eight-game hitting streak – two of which were home runs. Jenkins is also tied for 13^th in the conference with four home runs.
 
"It's been great to see her grow as a leadoff hitter for us this year," McKinney said. "Originally, she was a little nervous about it, but she has been a nice leadoff hitter for us – especially when she has led off a few games for us with home runs."
 
The six seniors and the rest of their teammates have a few more challenges ahead of them this season. Eight games remain. A three-game gap stands between the Yellowjackets (11-2 and fourth-place Central Washington. The team's goal of making the GNAC Championships is still within reach. They'll need wins this weekend – and a little luck – to get there.
 
But first, they'll have to string together a few wins against Saint Martin's.
 
Going into this week's series, the Saints (21-14, 9-3 GNAC) are in a three-way tie for first with Western Washington and Northwest Nazarene. Speaking of the Nighthawks: The Yellowjackets are coming off a four-game homestand against Northwest Nazarene this past weekend.
 
Although the 'Jackets would finish 0-4 against NNU, the team hopes to continue the offensive improvements shown in the fourth game of the series. Playing against unpredictable, heavy crosswinds, MSUB and NNU combined for 30 hits and 25 runs in a 16-9 series finale. In a game that saw both teams combine for eight home runs, Shelby Martin and Maycen O'Neal hit back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the first inning to give MSUB an early 5-1 lead.
 
"I think we can really build off of game four against NNU with our offense," McKinney said. "Our balls started to find some holes in the defense and some of our missed hits found holes too. It really was a good hitting weekend for us. Unfortunately in the first three games, our hits found more gloves than they did holes on the field, but I thought our offense continued to hit well and we cleaned up the defense too."
 
In addition to having multiple players chip in on offense, the series finale against NNU involved all five MSUB pitchers for the first time this season. Jenna Kister started things off in the first two innings, then when NNU rallied back in the third, Martin came on in relief. After the Nighthawks took a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth, the Yellowjackets would tie the score once more off freshman Jazlyn Kalehuawehe's third home run of the series. Kalehuawehe was one of the most consistent hitters in the series for MSUB, going 6-for-13 with three home runs – including two in game two last Friday – scored four runs and knocked in 4 RBIs.
 
Despite a three-run fourth inning that put NNU up for good, the Yellowjackets put runners aboard in every inning and pulled within two runs in the fourth. Down the stretch, the offense got help from Shelby Marquardt's sacrifice fly and RBI singles from Jenkins and Quimby – all while Preslee Christensen helped pitch a scoreless sixth inning and Alyssa Etheridge retired all three batters she saw in relief in the seventh.
 
SAINT MARTIN'S UNIVERSITY SAINTS
Record: 21-14 (9-3 GNAC)
Head coach: Jim Peterson (5th season)
Head-to-head record: 37-38
Last meeting: April 25, 2021 (9-6, SMU)
 
Led by Chloe Leverington's league-leading 2.13 ERA and an offense that ranks third in the GNAC with 5.03 runs scored per game, the Saints have out-performed their fourth-place standing in the GNAC Preseason Poll.
 
"Saint Martin's has always been a team of fighters," McKinney said. "They always seem to find a way to win, but we have always been like that too."
 
Saint Martin's ranks second-to-last in the GNAC with a .277 batting average and 19 home runs, yet the Saints draw 3.46 walks per game, which is second in the GNAC. Sophomore Malia Pinder highlights the Saints offense, boasting a .396/.480/.613 slash line and leads the team with 42 hits, 29 RBIs and five home runs in the leadoff spot.
 
Although the Saints have had the upper hand over the 'Jackets in the last few years, five of the last 10 games between the teams have been decided by fewer than three runs. Saint Martin's is coming off taking three games of a four-game homestand against Central Washington last weekend. In that series, reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Week Tia Ridings threw a four-hit shutout and struck out a dozen batters in the series opener, then only allowed two runs on three hits in a six-inning appearance last Sunday.
 
"If our pitchers can keep getting us ground ball and fly ball results, our offense keeps hitting and our dugout stays loud like it always does, I think we've got a really good shot in these games," McKinney said. "It's going to take all of us working together – especially with us having to move the series five hours away. It's going to take a little more out of us to band together as a team, compete and get these wins."
 
UP NEXT: MSUB and SMU square off in Grizzly Softball Field, located in Missoula, Mont. with a four-game series starting Thursday at 1 p.m. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the softball team's schedule page at msubsports.com.