Softball | 2/21/2009 6:56:37 PM

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 [Game 1: Box score]   [Game 2: Box score]

MONMOUTH, Ore.  - The Western Oregon University softball team got solid pitching and clutch hitting as it earned a 3-2 and a 3-0 victory over Montana State Billings, Saturday, Feb. 21, to sweep a season-opening doubleheader.

This was the opening games of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference season for both teams. With the sweep WOU moved to 2-0 on the season and in the conference as the losses dropped MSU Billings to 7-7 and 0-2 in the GNAC. 

Game 1
Jessica Wood got the nod as the opening game starter for the Western Oregon Wolves and she did not disappoint, as she scattered six hits over seven innings while giving up two runs, one earned.

The game was tied 1-1 in the bottom of the third inning, when Rocky Knuth led off with a walk and Tyler Sutherland doubled to center field putting runners on second and third with no out. Montana State University Billings pitcher Rebekah Tsatsa then struck out the next two WOU batters bringing cleanup hitter Krysta Pennington to the plate. Pennington hit a sharp grounder under the diving glove of shortstop Alyssa Frank and into center field scoring two.

Montana State would get a run back in the top of the fourth. Kelly Parsons drew a walk to start the inning and Whitney Whittemore singled down the right field line. WOU second baseman attempted to throw Parsons out going from first to third but her throw sailed wide allowing Parsons to score and Whittemore to advance to third base with no outs. After an infield single which did not score the runner from third, Woods battled back, getting a pop out to the shortstop and two of her five strike outs on the day to strand the runners and as the Wolves' held on for the 3-2 victory.

Western Oregon scored its first run in the bottom of the first as Sutherland led off the inning with a walk and came around to score on a wild pitch. The Yellowjackets scored in the top of the second on a solo home run by Dawn Norcross to tie the game at 1-1.

The Wolves got just three hits on the day but were able to take advantage of their speed on the bases and Yellowjacket walks as two of the three came around to score.


Game 2
Jessie Lessard stifled the Yellowjackets in game two of the doubleheader as she tossed a two-hit complete game shutout to lead Western Oregon to a 3-0 win over Montana State Billings.

Lessard (Jr., Elizabeth, Colo. - Elizabeth HS/Otero) did not allow a hit to the first 12 Yellowjacket batters en route to earning her first victory in a Wolves' uniform. The only hits she yielded came to back-to-back hitters in the fourth inning, but after getting out of that jam she would face the minimum the rest of the way and complete the game. Her lone walk was erased on the base paths as the next MSUB hitter grounded into a double play.

The Wolves scored runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

Tyler Sutherland once again scored the first run of the game for the Wolves. With Sutherland on third and Rocky Knuth on first, Knuth took off for second base and as she saw the throw heading down to second base, Sutherland took off for home scoring on the throw. This was the second consecutive game the Wolves grabbed a 1-0 lead without the benefit of a run-producing hit.

Freshman Bailey Rueck would drive Kylee Hancock in for the Wolves second run of the game on a two-out single and WOU would tack on one more in the fifth inning.

"Our pitching was great today," said head coach Pam Knox. "You never know what you have before the season but both of these women showed today that they can pitch."

These two teams will continue their GNAC season-opening series Sunday, Feb. 22, with a doubleheader beginning at 11:00 a.m.