Softball | 2/22/2009 5:28:10 PM

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

MONMOUTH, Ore. - The Western Oregon University softball team could not complete the sweep or the series victory against Montana State Billings as the Yellowjackets won both games of a doubleheader, 6-5 and 10-8, Sunday, Feb. 22 to spilt the series with the Wolves at two games apiece.

The two losses Sunday dropped the No. 28 Western Oregon Wolves to 2-2 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference and on the season. The wins improved MSU Billings to 9-7 on the season and to 2-2 in league play.

Game 1
Montana State Billings struck for three runs in the top of the first inning and never relinquished its lead en route to a 6-5 victory.

The Yellowjackets got all three of its runs in the first inning off back-to-back home runs. Steph Gosselin launched a two-run homer to left field after Amanda Goings walked, then Bekah Tsatsa took WOU starting pitcher Stephanie Albrecht deep to right center field to give MSU Billings the 3-0 lead.

Western Oregon would respond with a run in its half of the first as Sutherland led off with a walk and came around to score on a throwing error by the Yellowjackets' second baseman.

MSUB would tack on a run in the top of the second on a sacrifice fly to extend its lead to 4-1. Western Oregon would get another scoring opportunity in the bottom of the fifth as Krysta Pennington led off the inning with a pinch hit single and Kendra George doubled her to third base with no outs. The Wolves would commit two outs sandwiched around a walk to Amanda Fleer bringing Jessie Lessard to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded. She would poke one to right field scoring two for the Wolves and bringing them to within one run at 4-3.

The Yellowjackets would add a couple of insurance runs in the top of the seventh, which proved to be the difference in the game, as pinch hitter Alyssa Frank delivered a two-out two-RBI double to push the Yellowjackets' lead back to three.

Western Oregon would mount a rally in the bottom of the seventh inning as Tyler Sutherland reached on an error to start the inning and was doubled to third base by Fleer with no outs. After a Jessica Hallmark groundout to the shortstop which scored Sutherland, Lessard walked, Rocky Knuth struck out and Kylee Hancock singled to left field scoring Fleer to narrow the lead to one run once again at 6-5. With runners at first and second Bailey Rueck battled but grounded out 1-3 to end the game.

Lisa Moore earned the win for Montana State Billings as she pitched a complete game giving up five runs (four earned) on six hits and five walks while registering seven strike outs. Albrecht (0-1) picked up the loss, her first of the season.

No Western Oregon player recorded a multi-hit game but Sutherland and Fleer both notched two runs and Lessard led the way with two RBIs.

Game 2
Montana State Billings put up runs in each of the first five innings as went on to take the second game of the doubleheader 10-8.

The Yellowjackets scored two runs in the top of the first inning on an Alyssa Frank double down the left field line. It would add another run in the second and put up four more in the third inning to build a 7-1 lead.

The Wolves would get two runs in their half of the third inning on an RBI single by Jessie Lessard and a bases loaded walk to Rocky Knuth to pull within four runs at 7-3.

MSUB would go on to add another run in the fourth and two more in the fifth for a 10-3 advantage. Western Oregon would get a home run from Krysta Pennington in the fifth inning to make the score 10-4.

WOU would make its best comeback effort in the bottom of the sixth as Knuth lead off with a single and was doubled to third base with one out by Emily Kenagy. Tyler Sutherland then cleared the bases with a three-run home run to left to bring the Wolves to within three at 10-7. Fleer followed up the home run with a single forcing MSU Billings' starting pitcher, Josie Grotbo out of the game. WOU would tack on one more run in the inning on a Pennington single to center making it 10-8 heading into the last inning.

After the Yellowjackets went one-two-three in their half of the inning, the Wolves made two quick outs before Miranda Little drew a walk and Sutherland reached on an error but this is as close as the WOU comeback effort would get as the next batter grounded out to shortstop to end the game.

Grotbo picked up the win as she went 5.1 innings, giving up 11 hits eight earned runs and three walks while striking out one. Bekah Tsatsa recorded the save as she pitched 1.2 innings in relief without allowing an earned run. Lessard (1-1) took the loss for the Wolves after giving up eight earned runs in four innings.

The Western Oregon softball team will be at home again next week as continues its GNAC season with Northwest Nazarene on Friday, Feb. 27, at 1:00 p.m., and on Saturday, Feb. 28, at noon.