BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings softball team would round out it's first home series of the season Saturday afternoon, falling twice to Saint Martin's University in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (2-29, 0-8 GNAC) would struggle to keep pace with a high-powered Saints (22-12, 7-1 GNAC), who would score 25 runs across two games to best MSUB. Saint Martin's would use an early flurry of runs from the bats in game one to collect a 17-1 victory, before rounding out the series with an 8-0 win to claim a sweep over the 'Jackets.
 
Game One: SMU 17, MSUB 1 (5 innings)
 
The Saints would waste no time in taking control over the Yellowjackets in game one, with the first seven batters of the game all reaching base. Back-to-back homers from the second and third batters of the game would set the tone for the Saints, who would pour it on the 'Jackets with 14 runs in the first inning, collecting ten hits in the inning to build up an early insurmountable lead.
 
MSUB would have it's chances in the game, loading the bases up with one out in the bottom of the first before an unfortunate double play ended the scoring opportunity. The team would have runners reach base in every single inning, but MSUB would be unable to plate a single run in the game until the penultimate batter of the game, when Danica Butler sent a solo shot out to left field for a home run. The Saints meanwhile would tack on three additional runs as they saw out the victory, clinching a series win in dominant fashion.
 
Butler would bat 1-2 in the game with a run, and RBI, and a walk, while also pitching three total innings, and not allowing a single earned run. The home run would mark her second consecutive game with a homer. Meanwhile, Grace Hood would bat 1-2 with a walk, and Alexis Tovar would bat 1-2 with a double. Wynter Hurst would bat 1-3 with a single, while the duo of Kendall Klemp and Brooklyn Brauer would each go 1-1 after entering the game as pinch hitters. Following Butler in the circle, Elaina Troxell would pitch two innings, allowing three hits and a pair of runs.
 
Game Two: SMU 8, MSUB 0 (5 innings)
 
Continuing it's trend of early scoring, Saint Martin's would battle back after MSUB recorded two outs to begin the first inning, doubling to put a runner in scoring position before a single would send a run home to give the Saints the lead. The 'Jackets would put a pair of runners on base in the bottom of the first, but would be unable to even the score up, giving way to a four-run top of the second inning to give the Saints a 5-0 lead. That lead would hold for the next inning while MSUB found some momentum in the field, but three more runs across the final two innings of action would put Saint Martin's ahead 8-0, while MSUB would be held hitless after a first inning hit, dropping the final game of the series.
 
Grace Hood would collect MSUB's lone hit, batting 1-2, while Josie Theilen and Danica Butler would work walks to reach base in the game. Butler would also throw 1.1 innings while allowing just a single hit and run, while Shelby Wasilewski allowed one run on two hits with a strikeout in 1.2 innings.
 
THE BUZZ: Butler was selected as Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one, while Hood was selected for game two.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets will continue their season next week on the road in Monmouth, Oregon, taking on Western Oregon University in a four-game series. The series will kick off on Friday, April 3 with games scheduled for 2 PM and 4 PM MT, with live video available on the GNAC Network, and live statistics available here.