SEASIDE, Cali. – The Montana State University Billings softball team completed it's slate of non-conference games Saturday evening, falling in a pair of contests to California opponents Cal State Monterey Bay and Concordia University Irvine in the Monterey Bay Round Robin.
 
After starting late due to rain delay's throughout the day, the Yellowjackets (8-23-1, 1-7 GNAC) were defeated 7-1 by the Otters (12-16, 6-10 CCAA) in their first action of the day. They followed that up immediately after with a game against the #20 ranked team in the nation in the Golden Eagles (25-6, 14-0 PacWest), rematching against Concordia for the second time in as many days. The 'Jackets put up an impressive fight against one of the nation's top programs, but were ultimately defeated by a score of 11-9.
 
Game One: CSUMB 7, MSUB 1
 
The Monterey Bay offense took control early in the game, never looking back after scoring an unearned run in the first inning. The Otters followed that up with back-to-back home runs from sisters Ally and Abby Alcayaga, and would continue to improve from there, scoring runs in the fifth and sixth innings to open the game with seven unanswered runs. The Yellowjackets would battle back to plate a run in the seventh inning with a sacrifice fly, but it wouldn't spark a rally, with the 'Jackets going down in game one.
 
"After we had to wait a long time to get the game started, things started quickly and were a little too fast for us," said MSUB head coach Lisa McKinney. We made solid contact throughout the game and did a good job getting runners on base, but were unable to get any runs across the plate until late in the game."
 
Kaylin Galvin, Lauren Blaschak, Payton Meyer, and Kilee Imada each went 1-3 in the game to collect MSUB's four hits, with Imada scoring the 'Jackets lone run in the contest. Jazlyn Kalehuawehe picked up the 'Jackets lone RBI with a sac fly. Caitlyn James went the full game for MSUB, striking out four batters.
 
Game Two: CUI 11, MSUB 9
 
With the rain coming back down again early in the game, the Yellowjackets struggled early, with Concordia scoring six runs in the opening inning of play to put the Yellowjackets behind early. However, MSUB would battle back with a barrage of RBI hits in the top of the second and third innings, with Teagan Seeton and Lauren Blaschak collecting RBI hits, while Ashley Akers walked in a run and scored on a wild pitch, while Kaylin Galvin sent a run home after following an error to even the game up. From there, the contest would be a back-and-forth affair, with the Golden Eagles taking the lead back after a two-run bottom of the third, but MSUB responding immediately after with a Kilee Imada home run, and Jazlyn Kalehuawehe scoring on a wild pitch. But three runs in the fifth from Concordia would be too much to overcome, with the Yellowjackets scoring one run late, but unable to complete the comeback, falling just short to a nationally ranked opponent.
 
"We faced some adversity early in the game," said McKinney. "But I loved how our team continued to battle back the entire game. A good amount of our outs came on solid hits offensively. I'm proud of how our team stayed engaged and intense, despite how late the game ended up being."
 
Imada finished 3-4 with two runs and an RBI, while Blaschak was 2-4 with a double, two runs, and an RBI of her own. Galvin and Kalehuawehe both had a double as well, with Galvin going 1-4 with 2 RBIs, and Kalehuawehe battling 1-2 with a walk and two runs. Seeton, Akers, and Payton Meyer all ended the game with a hit, while Shelby Wasilewski and Caitlyn James combined to pitch the game for the Yellowjackets.
 
THE BUZZ: Imada was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Day.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB faces a week off, before jumping back into GNAC play, facing off against Northwest Nazarene on April 5 in doubleheader action at Avitus Group Stadium in Billings. First pitch is scheduled for 1 PM, with live video available here, and live statistics available here.