ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings softball team suffered a pair of tough walk-off losses on Friday to Central Washington University, falling twice to begin their final regular season series of the season in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
Despite playing solid softball in both games and leading for a majority of both games, the Yellowjackets (7-40, 5-17 GNAC) would be unable to cross the finish line victorious in either contest, falling to a pair of seventh inning rallies from the Wildcats (11-29, 5-13 GNAC). The 'Jackets would fall by a score of 4-3 in the opening contest of the day, before coming up short in game two with a 6-5 defeat.
 
Game One: CWU 4, MSUB 3
 
While both teams would each have a runner reach base in the first inning, the pitchers would work around the baserunner cleanly to keep things even after one. But MSUB would jump out to an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning following an RBI double from Danica Butler to plate Grace Hood following a walk. Then after the freshman Butler would keep rolling in the circle, opening the game with three consecutive scoreless innings, Hood would clear the fences with a two-run homer in the top of the fourth inning, giving the Yellowjackets a small cushion.
 
The Wildcats would respond in the bottom of the fourth however, plating a pair of runs in the frame to close the lead back to within one. MSUB would look to rebuild their lead after loading the bases in the fifth, loading the bases with a trio of singles with just one out, but after appearing to take a 4-2 lead on a sac fly, it would be ruled that the runner at third would take off early, with the play turning instead into an inning ending double play. Butler would work the fifth and sixth scoreless to keep MSUB in the lead, but would be unable to add on additional insurance before the seventh inning. Then in the bottom of the seventh, Central Washington would single to lead off the inning, evening the score just two batters later on another RBI single, before a four hit inning would finally conclude with another RBI single to left field, walking it off for the Wildcats who would steal the victory in game one.
 
Butler would finish the game 1-3 at the plate with an RBI double, while throwing 6.2 innings with eight hits, four runs, and five strikeouts. Hood would bat 2-2 with a pair of runs and RBIs, reaching base once more on a walk, while Marleigh Nieto hit 2-3 with a pair of singles. Wynter Hurst, Destiny Villas, and Alexis Tovar would all bat 1-3.
 
Game Two: CWU 6, MSUB 5
 
MSUB would waste no time before posting it's opening run in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from Marleigh Nieto, with the Wildcats responding immediately in the bottom of the inning to even things up once more. But a pair of RBIs from Jillian Karsjen would put MSUB back in the driver's seat, although Central Washington would immediately chip away at that lead with another run of their own in the bottom of the second.
 
The top of the third inning would see Destiny Villas and Alexis Tovar both hit RBI singles to left field, with MSUB collecting four hits in the inning on their way to building up it's lead to 5-2. And despite the Wildcats adding another run, the 'Jackets would keep hold of their lead, until the seventh inning would once more see disaster strike for the 'Jackets. After putting a pair of runners on base, the Wildcats would see back-to-back RBI hits see three runs cross the plate, with their two-run RBI double sealing the team's second walk-off win of the day over MSUB.
 
Nieto finished the game 2-3 with a walk and an RBI, while Villas would hit 2-4 with a run and an RBI, and Tovar batted 2-2 with a run and an RBI. Hood hit 1-4 with a run and a stolen base, while Hurst and Kendall Klemp would each hit 1-4 with a run Cazz Rankosky would bat 1-3, and Karsjen would finish with an RBI and a steal. Meanwhile in the circle, Avery Gray threw 6.1 innings and struck out a pair.
 
THE BUZZ: Hood would be named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one, while Nieto would be Player of the Game for game two.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB will round out it's regular season on Saturday, April 25, facing off twice more against Central Washington in Ellensburg, WA, with game times set for 1 PM and 3 PM MT (12 and 2 PM PT). Live video will be available on the GNAC Network, while live statistics can be found here.