BILLINGS, Mont. – Closing out the Tournament of Champions in Turlock, Calif., the Montana State University Billings softball team used a home run from Kilee Imada, an RBI single from Brittanee Fisher and a complete-game gem from Jenna Kister to beat Dominican University (CA) 2-1 on Sunday morning.
 
"I think we got better in each game we played this weekend," MSUB head softball coach Lisa McKinney said. "I hope the pitchers continue to attack the batters and get the defense good results. I thought the defense cleaned up its play each and every game and we ended on an errorless game today. Offensively, we started making adjustments earlier in the games as the weekend went on and we started executing bunts again, which has been important to move our runners over."
 
The Yellowjackets (11-24, 4-8 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) limited Dominican (14-25, 9-15 PacWest) to one run on three baserunners thanks to a season-high seven strikeouts from Kister, who earned her first complete-game win of the year. Behind her, centerfielder Brie Frazier and first baseman Brittanee Fisher turned an impressive double-play in the fourth inning that rallied the defense and turned the tide for MSUB.
 
"Jenna came out loose today and spun the ball well," McKinney said. "She attacked the batters and the defense played well behind her. I also thought Skyler Jenkins called a great game behind the plate."
 
QUICK HITS

• Sophomore pitcher Jenna Kister was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day for striking out a season-high seven batters, gave up only one earned run on three hits and issued zero walks. She threw 12 first-pitch strikes and retired the side in the final three innings to earn the complete-game win.
• Brittanee Fisher finished 2-for-3 with a go-ahead RBI single in the sixth inning.
• Kilee Imada went 1-for-3 with one RBI off her solo home run in the fifth inning. Imada's home run was the third of the season and the fourth of her career.
• Brie Frazier went 1-for-3 with a run scored, plus she and Fisher helped turn a double-play in the fourth.

 
The Dominican Penguins would take a 1-0 lead off Peyton Mott's solo home run in the top of the sixth, yet MSUB starter Jenna Kister would give up only one hit from that point forward. On offense, the Yellowjackets go their first baserunner in the bottom of the second inning with Maycen O'Neal's walk, then Skyler Jenkins broke up Dominican ace Shelby Keltner's no-hitter with a two-out double in the third.
 
Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fourth, the Yellowjacket defense turned a momentum-shifting double play. After Alicia Garcia led off the inning with a single to left field, Keltner worked a 2-2 count on Kister before hitting a hard shot to center field. Centerfielder Brie Frazier caught the ball then, noticing Dominican pinch-runner Jillian Lampa took a large lead off first base, quickly made the throw to Brittanee Fisher, whose stretch at first base turned the double-play.
 
"Brie had a quick throw to first and I think Brittanee had a great stretch at first base to turn the double-play," McKinney said. "I think that play gave Jenna all the confidence in the defense and allowed her to attack the batters even more."
 
From that point forward, Kister and the defense retired the Dominican batters in order in three-straight innings. Although the Yellowjackets would only muster a single from Fisher in the bottom of the fourth, Kister and the Yellowjackets got through the fifth on just 11 pitches thanks to two fly outs and a pop-up to second-baseman Morgan Quimby.  
 
Then Kilee Imada got the Yellowjackets on the board. Leading off the fifth inning, Imada battled Keltner in a nine-pitch at-bat, ending in a solo home run to right field that tied the game at one run apiece.
 
"Kilee made a great adjustment at her first at-bat," McKinney said. "She fouled off several pitches to get to her home run pitch. We talk a lot to the team about fighting to get to your pitch, and Kilee did that perfectly."
 
Although the 'Jackets went down in order to end the fifth, the defense came through with another brisk inning in the top of the sixth. Kister got her fourth strikeout of the day to lead off the inning, then the defense got out of the inning three pitches later to bring the 'Jacket offense up to the plate once more. Frazier singled down the third base line to kickstart the offense, then Allie Hughes laid down a bunt and put runners on first and second with no outs. This brought up Fisher, whose RBI single to right field brought Frazier home from second and allowed Hughes to advance to third.
 
"Brittanee was solid all weekend in the box," McKinney said. "She stayed within herself and found a way to move her teammates around with solid singles. The wind was pretty strong all weekend, so hitting home runs was difficult. Britt bought in to that and made the adjustment we needed."
 
MSUB's 2-1 lead was one it wouldn't relinquish. Needing one more push to earn the win, Kister shut down the Penguins in the top of the seventh. She struck out Garcia after the freshman first-baseman worked a full count, then Keltner went down swinging on Kister's riseball. Kister then struck out the side in a seven-pitch at bat to seal the victory.
 
Dominican's Shelby Keltner (7-15) pitched a complete game in the loss; she matched Kistner with seven strikeouts and gave up two earned runs on six hits while issuing one walk.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB returns to GNAC play by hosting Northwest Nazarene for a four-game series, starting on Friday, April 8. First pitch of the doubleheader is scheduled for 1 p.m.