Lady Jackets Advance to Silver Bracket Championship, Fall to No. 3 Humboldt (Apr. 4, 2004)
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MODESTO, CA – After defeating the tournament host and a PacWest rival, the Montana State-Billings softball team lost in the Silver Bracket championship game of the Easton Tournament of Champions, 3-0 to Humboldt State.  Junior pitcher Joey Ehnes was named to the all-tournament team after finishing the tournament with a 3-2 record and a 1.70 ERA.  She struck out 35 and walked just eight in six appearances.

“We’ve played competitive softball all season,” said Yellowjacket head coach Jeff Aumend, “but this weekend we were finally able to close the door.  Joey Ehnes and Layne Pavey really carried us all weekend.  It’s nice to get that performance from two of your captains.  Joey pitched well, and Layne hit the ball well and was great behind the plate all weekend.”

After carrying the Jackets into the title game, Ehnes gave up two first-inning runs to the Lumberjacks and was replaced by Megan McCrae, who allowed just one run for the rest of the game.  The loss was the Yellowjackets’ fourth of the season to the Lumberjacks after running into HSU three times at an earlier tournament in Washington.  Humboldt is currently ranked No. 3 in the nation by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

“We fell behind early in the championship game, but we still had our chances,” said Aumend.  “We had the bases loaded with one out in the first, but couldn’t come up with a run.  We also had runners on second and third in the sixth and didn’t score.”

MSU Billings managed just three hits in the championship game.  Pavey, Cami Rainey and Christy Wankel each singled.  The Yellowjackets were 3-4 at the tournament to move their season overall record to 16-26.

In the opening round of bracket play, the Yellowjackets used two early runs to defeat the host team, Cal State-Stanislaus, 2-0.  Ehnes pitched seven shutout innings, giving up three hits and striking out 10.  She recorded all three outs of the seventh inning via strikeout. 

MSUB took a 1-0 lead in the second when Pavey doubled to score Theresa Campbell from first base.  Pavey batted .333 for the weekend with two doubles and three RBI.  The Jackets added an insurance run in the third after Rainey doubled and scored from second when Anna Henderson reached on a throwing error.  Rainey was 1-for-3 with a run scored in the game.  Sara Hanley and Pavey were also 1-for-3. 

Ehnes went the distance in the Silver Bracket semifinal, defeating PacWest foe Hawaii-Hilo, 3-1, in eight innings.  Ehnes struck out eight and gave up six hits in eight innings.  Using international tiebreaker rules, Ehnes was placed on second base to start the eighth inning.  She advanced to third when Stephanie Cochrun grounded out to the pitcher, and scored on an RBI single from Pavey.

Two batters later, Christy Wankel homered over the left field fence to give Ehnes a three-run cushion in the bottom of the eighth.  The Vulcans managed to plate the runner that was placed on second base and then load the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but the Yellowjacket defense recorded three put outs in four batters to end the game.

Rainey, Wankel and Pavey collected the only three hits for the Yellowjackets in the game.  Ehnes, Wankel and Pavey all scored in the eighth inning.  Pavey was 1-for-2 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored.

The Yellowjackets return to Billings for a PacWest Conference doubleheader against Hawaii Pacific on April 10 and 11.  Saturday’s doubleheader begins at 3:00 p.m., and Sunday’s starts at 1:30 p.m.