MISSOULA, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings softball team's seniors led the way in the batter's box and by turning several impressive defensive plays, but untimely errors and a late surge from Saint Martin's proved to be the difference as the Yellowjackets lost 12-4 and 4-3 on Senior Day.
 
Closing out the Senior Week series under snow flurries at Grizzly Softball Field, the Yellowjackets (11-32, 4-16 GNAC) led in both games against the Saints (25-14, 13-3 GNAC). Seniors Skyler Jenkins and Sydney Norwood had 2 RBIs apiece to lead the seniors, and sophomore left-fielder Brie Frazier led the 'Jackets by going 3-for-6, scoring three runs and adding 2 RBIs of her own.
 
QUICK HITS

• Brie Frazier was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day for going 3-for-6 with three runs scored, 2 RBIs and a double and a triple. She either batted in or scored five of MSUB's seven runs on Friday.
• In another solid showing leading off the order, Skyler Jenkins went 3-for-8 with two runs and 2 RBIs across both games. In the outfield, she had two assists across both games.
• Sydney Norwood went 1-for-3 with a bases-clearing RBI double while starting at first base in game one, which included a diving play on a tough chopper to first base for an unassisted put-out. She got the start as the designated player in game two.
• Fellow senior first baseman Brittanee Fisher went 2-for-3 in game two while starting at first base. She started game one as the designated player.
• In her lone at-bat on senior day, Allie Hughes laid down a sacrifice bunt in game one that moved two baserunners into scoring position.
• Sidney Pollard started in both games at shortstop and had several crucial plays in game two: first by turning a double-play with Marin Penney at third, then by helping fellow senior second baseman Morgan Quimby with an inning-ending shovel pass in game two.
• Morgan Quimby had a solid defensive day at second base, helping fellow seniors Pollard and Jenkins turn stellar defensive plays that rallied the 'Jackets.

 
Game 1: SMU 12, MSUB 4
 
In a game that was closer than the final score indicated, the Yellowjackets took a 4-2 lead into the top of the sixth thanks to the top of the lineup. A calamitous eight-run sixth inning that caused MSUB to cycle through three pitchers ended up being the difference.
 
Whenever Skyler Jenkins or Brie Frazier got aboard, good things happened. MSUB wasted no time putting runs on the board, as Jenkins hit a leadoff double in the first inning, then advanced to third on a throwing error, then Frazier used only four pitches of her at-bat to double and bring Jenkins home. After a sacrifice fly advanced Frazier to third, a passed ball on the full count on Maycen O'Neal allowed Frazier to score, giving MSUB a 2-0 lead.
 
The Saints retaliated in the top of the second by taking advantage of a MSUB error and scoring two runs on three hits. Fortunately for the Yellowjackets, the Saints would leave the bases loaded, then strand two more baserunners in the top of the third.
 
Frazier helped start a rally in the bottom of the third by recording a hit on her second-straight at-bat. Penney worked a full count, then singled to put two runners on with nobody out, then Allie Hughes laid down a sacrifice bunt that moved Penney and Frazier into scoring position. The bunt would be pivotal two batters later, as Sydney Norwood's long single down the left field line cleared the bases and put MSUB up 4-2.
 
"Offensively, we came out strong," MSUB head softball coach Lisa McKinney said. "It was great to see Brie come up with some big hits for us and score our first runs of the game. Allie came in with a well-executed bunt, then Sydney Norwood came up with a clutch hit to score a couple of runs."
 
MSUB starter Jenna Kister and the defense got through the top of the fourth on only 10 pitches, partially due to a quick read from Norwood at first. Malia Pinder hit a chopper to first that took an awkward bounce, Norwood hit the turf to secure the ball, then dove on top of first base for the unassisted force-out. Aided by an outfield assist from Jenkins that that got a SMU runner out at second, Kister helped MSUB keep its 4-2 lead by navigating out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the fifth. She shut down the inning by winning a seven-pitch at-bat with the second of her two strikeouts of the day.
 
Unfortunately for the 'Jackets, another quick inning in the fifth brought up the top of the sixth. Everything unraveled. The Saints tied the game at four on four-straight hits, bringing Shelby Martin in relief with no outs in the sixth. SMU put up five more runs before Qualteri took the ball from Martin. When the dust settled, MSUB was staring at a 12-4 deficit.
 
"Jenna threw well in game one," McKinney said. "We had a few defensive miscues in the sixth inning that hurt us overall."
 
Saint Martin's reliever Chloe Leverington was credited with the win after pitching four innings in relief and striking out eight batters. After Ridings' 13-strikeout day on Thursday, the 'Jackets ended her day after scoring four runs on five hits in three innings.
 
Game 2: SMU 4, MSUB 3
 
Unlike game one, the Saints struck first in game two, making contact early in the count and leading off the game with five-straight singles. Saint Martin's would take a 2-0 lead on an infielding error; the lead would hold until the Saints tacked on another run with a three-hit second inning.
 
Brittanee Fisher was MSUB's first baserunner of the game, smoking a double to center field and reaching third on an error when Saint Martin's centerfielder Shay Lopes couldn't secure the ball after it hit the center field fence. Fisher, who went 2-for-3 in game two, was a consistent bat in the lineup Friday afternoon.
 
"Britt roped a shot that was just short of tying the school's home run record, but I thought she stayed through a change-up well on her next at-bat," McKinney said.
 
Preslee Christensen replaced Qualteri in the circle in the third inning, kicking off a career-high five-inning outing in relief. She would end up recording one strikeout in four scoreless innings while only giving up one walk.
 
"Preslee came into the game and gave our team the results we needed in order to keep it close," McKinney said.
 
The third inning was by far her most difficult. Like they did in the previous two innings, the Saints got things going with three-straight hits to load the bases with nobody out, but two impressive plays from Sidney Pollard left SMU scoreless. First, she turned a double play by spearing a line-drive shot on the third base side, then flipping the ball to Marin Penney at third, who tagged out pinch-runner Janell Williams after she took too far of a lead off the bag. On the next play Pollard and second baseman Quimby helped end the inning with a 6-4 putout and preserve the 3-0 lead.
 
"Sidney Pollard came through with some clutch defensive plays, highlighted by a line-drive double play and her diving shovel pass to Morgan Quimby at second base. Morgan played a solid second base all day as well."
 
MSUB would get on the board in the bottom of the third, when Skyler Jenkins' hit a two-out single to center field, then Brie Frazier's triple to the far corner of right field brought her home. Marin Penney kept the line moving with a single down the left-field line, then Maycen O'Neal's double to left center would bring Penney 60 feet away from tying the game at three. Yet Saint Martin's only kept its 3-2 lead for another inning.
 
A quick fourth inning from Christensen was aided by O'Neal catching a Saints baserunner trying to steal second, then a groundout to third brought the 'Jackets to the plate again. Fisher singled to lead things off, then Quimby laid down a bunt that brought pinch-runner Claire Bagnell into scoring position. A single from Payton Meyer would corner SMU pitcher Kylie Parsons with one out, then Jenkins' drove in another run to the game at three. But the 'Jackets would leave the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth.
 
The score would remain tied until the sixth inning. With two outs, Saint Martin's used aggressive baserunning from pinch runner Marisol Bergstrom to get into scoring position. Vanessa Smoke's RBI single gave the Saints a 4-3 lead it wouldn't relinquish.
 
MUSB caught a break in the top of the seventh inning. The Saints gifted MSUB two outs after a bunt popped up and hit Devin Conerly, then Kekai Schultz left early from first. However, the 'Jackets only got a baserunner aboard in the bottom of the seventh.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB's season-finale takes place at Simon Fraser, starting with a doubleheader on Saturday, April 23 at noon local time. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the softball team's schedule page at msubsports.com.