BILLINGS, Mont. – The Western Oregon University softball team split Sunday's wet doubleheader at Montana State Billings, falling in the opening game, 5-3, before taking a slugfest in game two from the Yellowjackets in extra innings, 19-18. The Wolves move to 10-9 on the year and are now 1-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
GAME ONE
Montana State Billings prevailed in the first game to earn the series victory. Breaking a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning, a Kelsie Devlin two-run home run was the difference in the ball game.
 
After the Yellowjackets took an early 3-0 lead on Devlin's RBI double and a two-run blast from Cameron Casinelli, Western Oregon responded with all three of their tallies in the third. Ryanne Huffman hit an infield single scoring Hailee Watilo for the first run. Destiny Kuehl extended the inning drawing a walk, allowing Jenna Kelly to come up and double home Kuehl and Huffman with the equalizing runs.
 
Haley Fabian dueled in the circle with MSUB's Maddy Lincoln, but took the loss after allowing five runs on seven hits in a complete-game effort while striking out seven.
 
GAME TWO
What a wild game this was. The teams combined for 37 runs on 35 hits. After a rain delay stopped what was a 7-3 Western Oregon lead, both teams exploded for big innings.
 
Western Oregon saw their advantage cut to one, 7-6, going into the sixth, but posted eight runs on seven hits with a MSUB error for a 15-6 lead. Kuehl, Zoe Clark and Watilo all had swings that produced two runs and gave the Wolves a chance to end the game via the run-rule.
 
But as the Yellowjackets had done for most of the series, the long ball extended the game as a pinch-hit two-run homer from Nikki Tiffany allowed MSUB to sneak back within the eight-run threshold.
 
In the seventh, Kuehl blasted a two-run home run and Ku'ulei Siolo singled home Chandler Bishop for an 18-8 lead with only three outs needed to win.
 
Megan Dettling hit two home runs in the bottom of the seventh for MSUB. Her first shot, a two-run homer, brought the Yellowjackets within seven. Emma Tucker hit a grand slam making it a three-run game when Dettling returned to the plate with two on. With a full count, Dettling sent another ball over the fence and tied the game at 18-18. MSUB had the winning run at first before a groundout to shortstop ended the 10-run on eight-hit frame.
 
Two walks with two outs gave Western Oregon the window it needed to plate a run in the eighth inning. Kelly singled to right field scoring Huffman from second for the eventual game-winner. MSUB got a pair of runners to second base in the bottom half of the inning, but the game ended on a tag play at third base as Gardner shoveled the ball to Kuehl for the final out.
 
Fabian's line in relief is not pretty, but it was enough to earn the win. She went two innings allowing 12 runs on nine hits. Lizzet Dominguez started the game in the circle and closed out the game tossing the eighth inning for her first save of the year.
 
NEXT UP
The Wolves continue a 14-game road trip next weekend with games at Central Washington on Saturday, March 25 at 1 p.m. and at Saint Martin's on Sunday, March 26 at 12 p.m. Live stats for both conference doubleheaders will be available through WOUWolves.com/Live.