TURLOCK, Cali. – Playing their second day of doubleheaders at the Tournament of Champions, the Montana State University Billings softball team split their second day of games in California.
 
The Yellowjackets (12-19, 5-7 GNAC) opened the days games against Cal State San Bernardino, where the Yotes defeated MSUB 8-6 in nine innings. The Yellowjackets followed that up with a 5-2 victory over Chaminade University, winning their first game of the tournament.
 
Game One: MSUB 6, CSUSB 8 (9 innings)
 
The Yellowjackets went down early in the game, when San Bernardino jumped out to a four-run lead in the second inning. Four consecutive hits, emphasized by Veronica Garza's two-run home run put the Yotes up early, but Julia Qualteri would recover for the 'Jackets not allowing a run for the rest of her time in the game. The Yellowjackets showed the beginnings of a rally in the bottom of the fourth when a perfectly executed double steal by Shelby Marquardt and Payton Meyer would make Meyer their first run of the game, but going into the bottom of the seventh, MSUB still trailed 4-1. But after starting the inning with a single from Jazlyn Kalehuawehe and Marin Penney, the 'Jackets would find a way to tie the game. Kilee Imada drew a bases loaded walk to make the deficit two, before a Meyer single and Marquardt groundout would knock in two more runs, forcing the 'Jackets and Yotes to play extra softball.
 
In contrast to the first seven innings, the runs came often in extras. San Bernardino scored two runs in the top of the eighth, but MSUB would respond with two runs of their own. The Yotes would score another two to begin the ninth though, and despite having two runners on base in the bottom of the frame, MSUB would be thrown out at home trying to close the lead to one, before drawing the next two outs in quick succession to fall just short of an impressive comeback victory.
 
"We had a long battle in game one," said Yellowjacket's coach Lisa McKinney. "Our pitchers worked well together to keep us in the game. Our hitters adjusted well and found a way to score runs late. I'm proud of how our girls battled."
 
Meyer finished 3-5 in the game with an RBI, while Teagan Seeton, Penney, and Shelby Martin each had two hits in the game. Five different Yellowjackets finished with an RBI in the game. Qualteri finished with 5.1 innings pitched, only allowing runners to cross in the second inning, before being replaced by Alyssa Etheridge, who pitched the final 3.2 innings of the game.
 
Game Two: MSUB 5, CU 2
 
For the first four innings of the Yellowjackets game against Chaminade, neither team was able to get anything going offensively. Alyssa Etheridge shut things down for the 'Jackets, striking out six, while Chaminade was led by Taylor Genera. But after Chaminade was able to plate a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, it looked like MSUB would be in trouble once again. The Yellowjackets flipped the script however, with sixth inning RBIs from Jazlyn Kalehuawehe and Shelby Martin putting the 'Jackets up 3-2, before a pair of RBI doubles from Lauren Blaschak and Teagan Seeton would help give the Yellowjackets a solid cushion. Etheridge pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning, and MSUB emerged victorious.
 
"We had a quick turnaround after our first game ran late," McKinney said." But I thought we handled it great. We played a quick, clean game two, and kept our fight going. Our dugout was loud all game, and helped us keep the energy up, and the offense found good results late."
 
Blaschak, Kalehuawehe, and Shelby Marquardt each had two hits in the game for MSUB, with Kalehuawehe leading the team with two RBIs. Seeton was 1-4, and Maycen O'Neal was 1-3.
 
THE BUZZ: Meyer was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjacket's have one more game in the Tournament of Champions tomorrow, April 2, when they face off against Dominican University of California. That matchup is scheduled for 12:30 PM (1:30 PM MST). Live video will be available here, and live statistics available here.