CLERMONT, Flor. – The Montana State University Billings softball team completed it's first day of competition at The Spring Games in Florida, dropping a pair of games on the day to Minnesota State and University of Mary.
 
Playing the first two of ten games scheduled to take place between today and Tuesday, the Yellowjackets (3-8-1) were defeated 14-3 in game one by the Mavericks (10-3), before falling 17-2 to the Marauders (4-9) in the second game of the day.
 
"We struggled to put things together today," said Yellowjackets head coach Lisa McKinney. "In both games we allowed too many walks and made too many errors. On offense, we just need to find our timing again. Tomorrow we're looking forward for the opportunity to bounce back and start putting things together again."
 
The 'Jackets took an early 1-0 lead on a sacrifice fly from Teagan Seeton that would score Riley Warden, but it would be all Minnesota State from there on out, scoring the next 14 runs in the game. MSUB showed life late, with a pinch hit two-run homer from Payton Meyer in fifth inning being a cause for excitement. But just three hits in the game made it difficult for MSUB to get much momentum offensively.
 
Meyer would finish 1-1 with a pair of RBIs, while Claire Bagnell would also go 1-1 in a pinch hitter appearance. Kilee Imada batted 1-2, while Madelyne Elbert and Riley Warden each finished with a run. Warden would also swipe a bag in the game, her fifth in the past five games for the 'Jackets.
 
In the following game, the Yellowjackets would keep it close in the early innings. They would take a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI single from Jazlyn Kalehuawehe, and get Seeton across the plate on a wild pitch the following batter. But after tying it up with a single run in the third, Mary would explode in the fourth inning, sending 13 runners across to score, and seeing out the game for the victory.
 
Kalehuawehe batted a perfect 2-2 in the game, while Imada and Marin Penney each finished 1-2. Seeton was 1-3 with a run and a stolen base, and Payton Meyer once again went 1-1 for MSUB. Riley Warden reach base on a walk, collecting a run and a steal.
 
THE BUZZ: Meyer was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game in game one, while Kalehuawehe was selected for game two… her home run was Meyer's first long ball of the season… Warden has now stolen six bases over her first six starts as a Yellowjacket, leading the team… Kalehuawehe now totals eight RBIs on the season, tying for the team lead.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets return to action tomorrow with another pair of games, rematching against Minnesota State at 9:15 AM ET (7:15 AM MT), before facing off against Upper Iowa University at 1:45 PM ET (11:45 AM MT). Live video access to all the Yellowjacket's matchups at The Spring Games can be purchased here.