SAN BERNARDINO, Cali. – The Montana State University Billings softball team picked up their first win of the season Saturday, defeating Hawaii Pacific in five innings 12-3, before dropping their second contest 9-7 to Cal State San Bernardino at the Concordia Kickoff Classic.
 
With games once again forced to move due to weather, the Yellowjackets (1-2) would respond well after an opening day loss, picking up a mercy rule victory over the Sharks in their opening game of the day, before playing a competitive second game against the Coyotes, falling just short of victory.
 
Game One: MSUB 12, Hawaii Pacific 3 (5 Inn.)
 
The Yellowjackets wasted no time getting started in game one, with their first two batters of the game going deep. Leadoff hitter Lauren Blaschak got things started with a ball to right center, clearing the fence for her first home run of the year, and the Yellowjackets' first long ball of the season. Teagan Seeton wasted no time getting them number two, immediately following up with a blast to left field. With a sacrifice fly from Bryn Lucht later in the inning, the Yellowjackets would hold a 3-0 lead following the top of the first inning.
 
They would never give that lead away, and in the fourth inning, further extended the gap with a six-run outburst, including three home runs in the inning. Blaschak would once again go yard, this time hitting a two-run blast to extend the lead to 5-1. Additional homers by Marin Penney and Jazlyn Kalehuawehe would help quickly take things out of hand, as MSUB grew their lead to 9-2 by the end of the fourth. An additional trio of runs in the fifth would move the lead to ten, and while the Sharks were able to claw a run back, they wouldn't be able to keep the game going, as the Yellowjackets were able to end their first game of the day early, forcing a five-inning mercy rule.
 
"I was really proud of how our team bounced back from last night's game," said MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney. "Our bats came alive and we made some good defensive plays. Ella did a great job on the mound keeping the batters off balance."
 
Blaschak finished 3-4 in the game with two home runs, three runs and three RBIs. Seeton finished a perfect 3-3 with her home run, three runs, and two RBIs. Kalehuawehe went 3-4 with a run and three RBIs, while Penney went 2-4 with two runs and three RBIs. Alexis Tovar batted 2-2, while Kilee Imada went 1-4, and both Kaylin Galvin and Malia Cavan went 1-3 with a run. Lucht finished with two RBIs on a pair of sac flies. Ella Crookston picked up her first career win as a Yellowjacket, throwing five innings and allowing just a single earned run, while only walking one batter
 
Game Two: Cal State San Bernardino 9, MSUB 7
 
The Coyotes would strike first in the opening frame, sending a single down the right field line to take a 1-0 lead. But MSUB wouldn't stay down for long, scoring a pair of runs in the bottom of the second inning via a Kilee Imada two-run homer. It would set the tone in a game where the two squads exchanged the lead multiple times. San Bernardino would quickly take the lead back in the top of the third inning on a two-run long ball of their own, but the Yellowjackets would claw back once more, scoring two runs in the fourth inning, with Payton Meyer scoring the tying run on a Kaylin Galvin hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded, before a dropped third strike would allow Madelyne Elbert to score, putting the 'Jackets ahead. The lead wouldn't last long though, with a four-run top of the fifth innings putting the Coyotes in the driver's seat, and despite scoring a run in the sixth and seventh innings, MSUB would be unable to take back the lead, splitting the second day of games at the Concordia Kickoff Classic.
 
"Game two was a great game all around," said McKinney. "I'm very proud of how we fought in the 7th and almost tied the game up. Malia had a great hit that could have kept the game going, but their left fielder made a good diving catch. We had a couple of big defensive plays as well and caught some people stealing."
 
Imada went 2-2 with a run and two RBIs, while Marin Penney went 2-4 with an RBI and a run. Jazlyn Kalehuawehe went 1-2 with a walk, and Kaylin Galvin batted 1-3 with a run and an RBI. Both Teagan Seeton and Malia Cavan went 1-4.
 
THE BUZZ: Blaschak was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one, while Imada was selected for game two.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets face off twice tomorrow against #7 Cal State San Marcos at CSUSM Softball Field to conclude day three of the Concordia Kickoff Classic, with first pitch of the opening game scheduled for 10 AM PT (11 AM MT). Live stats will be available here.