MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Western Oregon University softball team will be seeing a lot of Montana State Billings over the next few weeks. The teams will play a four-game non-conference series this weekend with doubleheaders starting at 11 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday at the WOU Softball Field. In just a few weeks, the teams will see each other again on Mar. 19-20 back in Monmouth for a four-game series that will count as GNAC games.
WOU (10-5) is coming off of a six-game road trip to Hawaii in which they went 3-3. The Wolves split all three series against Hawaii Hilo, Hawaii Pacific and Chaminade. It was a big week in the circle for Chelsea Smith as she went 3-0 in 21 innings in her three starts.
Overall, WOU has already played 15 games on the season with four coming at home. The Wolves swept both Bushnell and Warner Pacific at home this season. The offense has been rolling as WOU brings a .322 batting average into the week, tallying 133 hits, 88 runs, 24 doubles, seven triples, nine home runs and 85 RBI.
Logan Carlos, Maddie Doig and Natalie Willoughby are all hitting over .400. Carlos holds a .436 average with 24 hits, 12 runs scored, four triples, three doubles, a home run and 11 RBI. Doig is hitting .432 with 19 hits, 10 runs scored, five doubles, a triple, a home run and three RBI. Willoughby is hitting .405 with 17 hits, 17 runs scored, three doubles, six home runs and 18 RBI. Erica Soliz is hitting .778 in nine at-bats this year, driving in five runs. Zoie Recolan is close to hitting .400 at .389, tallying 14 hits, four doubles, a triple and seven RBI. Kate Ronning holds a .326 average with 15 hits, three doubles and nine RBI. Sophie Franklin is approaching a .300 average sitting at .286 with eight hits, two doubles, a triple and eight RBI. Opponents are hitting .258 with 100 hits, 62 runs scored, 16 doubles, three triples, four home runs and 54 RBI.
In the circle, Smith is already 6-0 on the season while holding a 2.39 ERA in 38 innings pitched. She has 33 strikeouts and is holding teams to a .213 batting average while collecting three complete games and a shutout win. Maddie Mayer is 3-1 on the season in 22.2 innings, holding a 3.71 ERA. She has 16 strikeouts and also has a save on the season. Reilly Tidwell has a 4.32 ERA in 22.2 innings as well, picking up a win and a complete game this year. She has 15 strikeouts. Jada Young has tossed eight innings this year in three appearances. Nicki Derrick has pitched in 6.1 innings in five appearances and Soliz has pitched in 2.1 innings and has a save in two appearances. As a staff, WOU holds a 3.92 ERA in 100 innings, allowing 62 runs (56 earned) and coming away with 71 strikeouts to just 48 walks. Opponents have a 5.05 ERA in 98.1 innings, allowing 88 runs (71 earned) and tallying 49 strikeouts and issuing 44 walks.
WOU holds a slight 37-36 series record against Montana State Billings since 2003, with the Yellowjackets winning the past three meetings. Those three wins were last year in Billings when MSUB rallied to take the final three games of the series after WOU won the opener by a 10-5 score. During the last meeting in Monmouth in 2020, WOU swept the two games by 4-0 and 4-2 scores. The Wolves have won the past three meetings at home and are 24-8 in Monmouth against the 'Jackets.
MSUB enters the week 6-10 overall having played every game away from Billings. This past week they traveled to Minot to play in the Bubble Invite II going 2-2. MSUB won the first two games against Mary and Minot State, before falling to Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State. So far this season, the 'Jackets have played in California, Arizona and North Dakota and will visit their fourth state to start the season traveling to Oregon this week.
MSUB is hitting .270 on the season with 113 hits, 80 runs, 26 doubles, two triples, 12 home runs and 75 RBI. Lauren Blaschak leads the team with a .469 average, tallying 15 hits, 11 runs, five doubles, a triple, two home runs and 12 RBI. Brittanee Fisher is hitting .412 with 14 hits, 10 runs, four home runs and 10 RBI. Marin Penney is next with a .333 average, coming away with 13 hits, three doubles and three RBI. Opponents are hitting .291 with 120 hits, 77 runs, 21 doubles, six triples, three home runs and 59 RBI.
In the circle, Preslee Christensen has a 1.50 ERA in 4.2 innings in one appearance. Alyssa Etheridge has tossed 31.1 innings, going 2-4 with a 2.68 ERA and two complete games. She has 30 strikeouts. Julia Qualteri has a 2.72 ERA in 46 innings, going 4-3 with 32 strikeouts and four complete games. Shelby Martin has a 6.24 ERA in 12.1 innings and Jenna Kister has a 6.72 ERA in 16.2 innings. As a staff, MSUB has a 3.67 ERA in 101 innings, allowing 77 runs (53 earned), along with 78 strikeouts and 55 walks. Opponents have a 4.53 ERA in 102 innings, allowing 80 runs (66 earned), along with 79 strikeouts and 46 walks.
Live video and stats will be available for the games against Montana State Billings. Live video can be found here and live stats can be found here.
Tickets can be purchased here or can be purchased at the gate by cash only.
