JAMESTOWN, N.D. – The Montana State University Billings softball team was defeated twice to wrap up the Nelson Family Bubble Tournament in Jamestown, falling to Northern State University and Valley City State University.
 
The Yellowjackets (1-7) found themselves on the wrong side of both contests Friday, falling to the Wolves (2-0) in the team's first game of the day 9-1 in five innings. The 'Jackets would go on to put up a better fight in their second game of the day, but would fall to the Vikings (1-1) by a score of 11-4.
 
Game One: NSU 9, MSUB 1 (5 Innings)
 
MSUB would show some early promise in the first inning, with Emily Watters forcing the Wolves to go three up, three down in the top of the frame. They would threaten in the bottom of the frame after back-to-back walks drawn by Bryn Lucht and Kaylin Galvin would put a pair of runners on base. The 'Jackets would be unable to take advantage though, and from there on Northern State would begin to tack on runs. The Wolves would get their first run with an RBI double in the second inning, and grow that lead further with a three-run top of the third, an inning kept alive by multiple defensive miscues from MSUB. The Yellowjackets would get a run back in the fifth inning following a triple from Wynter Hurst, who would be scored on a sac fly by Kennedy Dypwick, but the 'Jackets would be unable to put another run across in the contest, and five more Northern State runs in the top of the fifth inning would give the Wolves a big enough lead to end the game early.
 
Hurst's triple was MSUB's lone base hit in the game, with the sophomore going 1-2 with a run and a walk. The Yellowjacket's two other hits in the contest would come from Kaylin Galvin, who batted 1-1 with a walk, and Jazlyn Kalehuawehe, who singled in her lone plate appearance. Six different Yellowjackets would reach base on a walk. Dypwick would grab the 'Jackets lone RBI, the fourth RBI of her season, and steal the first base of her MSUB career. Lauren Blaschak would also finish with a steal. Emily Watters and Caitlyn James would each throw 2.1 innings for MSUB, with Watters allowing one earned run and three hits while striking out a single batter, and James collecting three strikeouts. Shelby Wasilewski would pitch the remaining out.
 
Game Two: VCSU 11, MSUB 4
 
The Yellowjackets would find themselves in an early hole, giving up five runs across the first two innings of the game to fall behind. But over the following innings, Avery Gray would begin to settle down on the mound, throwing three consecutive shutout innings between the third and the fifth. Over that time, the 'Jackets would begin to chip away at the Viking's lead, with Ashley Akers knocking an RBI single into right field to get MSUB on the board for the first time in the bottom of the third. Wynter Hurst would get another run back in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double of her own, before repeating the act with a second RBI single in the following inning. Grace Hood would round out the scoring in the fifth, driving Hurst in with an RBI triple, to help MSUB pull to within one run of tying the game. But the comeback wasn't to be, with Valley City State scoring another run in the sixth inning before a five-run explosion in the top of the seventh would restore a sizeable gap, and sink the Yellowjackets.
 
Hood finished 2-2 at the plate with a triple and a double, collecting one run and one RBI in the game. Hurst and Bryn Lucht also finished with two hits, with Hurst going 2-4 with a double, a run, and two RBIs, while Lucht batted 2-3 and reached with a walk. Ashley Akers and Peyton Roberge each went 1-4, with Akers driving in a run. Riley Warden also went 1-4 at the plate, scoring a run and stealing a base. Gray finished with five innings pitched on the mound, striking out five batters, while Caitlyn James struck out three hitters in 1.2 innings of work.
 
THE BUZZ: Hurst was selected as Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one, while Hood earned the honor for game two.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjacket are scheduled next to travel to Helena to face off against Carroll College in doubleheader action on Saturday, February 15 at Centennial Park. First pitches are scheduled for 1 PM and 3 PM, with live video available here, and live statistics available here.