Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings softball team faced off against Western Washington University Saturday, falling short in both legs of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (11-24, 6-9 GNAC) battled hard in both contests, challenging the #11 Vikings (29-10, 13-3 GNAC) all day, but would be unable to collect a win in either game. The 'Jackets would fall by a score of 6-1 in game one, before finishing the series with a narrow 1-0 defeat.
 
Game One: #11 WWU 6, MSUB 1
 
The Vikings would strike first in the opening game of the day, collecting an RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. But Caitlyn James would settle in as the game wound on, pitching three consecutive shutout innings between the second and fourth frames. The senior pitcher would allow just a single hit in that time frame, and would retire six consecutive batters. But the Yellowjackets would struggle to find momentum at the plate, collecting just two hits in the first five innings of the game.
 
The bottom of the fifth would spell trouble for the 'Jackets however, when the Vikings would see their first four batters collect hits. It would set the tone in an explosive fifth for Western Washington, who would collect an additional five runs in the inning. The Yellowjackets would get a run back in the seventh inning, with Wynter Hurst collecting a two out single before Bryn Lucht would send her across home with an RBI double. But Lucht would be thrown out trying to stretch that double into a triple, spelling an end to the game as the Vikings would claim victory.
 
Lucht would finish 1-3 with an RBI, while Hurst would go 1-3 with a run. Also batting 1-3 in the contest was Marleigh Nieto, who would double for her lone hit. Ashley Akers would hit 1-2, while Lauren Blaschak would reach base once on a walk. James would go 4.1 innings in the game, striking out a lone batter while allowing eight hits and five earned runs, while Avery Gray wouldn't allow a hit in her 1.2 innings of work, striking out one batter.
 
Game Two: #11 WWU 1, MSUB 0
 
With the Yellowjackets looking to claim at least a series split, and the Vikings would look to clinch a series victory, the final game of the day would begin with Western Washington adding another first inning run behind a sacrifice fly. The contest would be a pitchers' duel though, with Emily Watters and Kaiana Kong going back-and-forth as the Yellowjackets looked to overcome the deficit. The Vikings would threaten to score as the game wore on, but Watters and the 'Jackets defense would find a way to escape the jam each time, keeping the deficit at 1-0.
 
MSUB would find their best opportunities to tie the game in the fourth and fifth inning. In the fourth, Lauren Blaschak would single and then steal second base, while Wynter Hurst would single to open the fifth inning before making her way to second on a groundout. But the 'Jackets would be unable to advance those runners any further, with the Vikings keeping them off the scoreboard behind quality pitching and solid defense. Watters would keep MSUB in the game behind an excellent outing of her own, retiring six of the final seven batters she faced while never allowing a run after the opening inning, but the Yellowjackets would be unable to get the tying run on base following the fifth inning, falling just short to give the Vikings a series victory.
 
Watters would throw six innings of work, allowing just the one earned run while striking out a single batter. Meanwhile, Blaschak and Hurst would each bat 2-3 in the game to collect MSUB's four hits, with Hurst doubling in the game.
 
THE BUZZ: Lucht was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one, while Blaschak was named Player of the Game for game two… Watter's would finish her weekend in the circle with a pair of complete games, allowing just one run in 13 innings of work for a weekend ERA of 0.53… with eight games remaining, MSUB ranks fifth in the GNAC standings, as they attempt to qualify for the GNAC Championships.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB opens it's final home series of the regular season next week, beginning the week's action against Western Oregon University on Thursday, April 17 with a doubleheader beginning at 1 PM. Live video for the games will be available here, while live statistics will be available here. Tickets for home MSUB softball games are available for purchase online here.