Pavey’s Blast Gives Jackets Doubleheader Sweep of Hawaii Pacific (Apr. 10, 2004)
Game One Box Score
Game Two Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – It’s not often that a single swing of the bat decides a game, but Layne Pavey’s walk off three-run homer in the fading light of extra innings did exactly that for the Montana State-Billings softball team Saturday.  The blast—which hit the top of the rock wall beyond the leftfield fence at Cenex Stadium—gave the Yellowjackets an 8-5 win and a PacWest Conference doubleheader sweep of visiting Hawaii Pacific.  MSUB won the first game, 3-1, behind a strong pitching performance from junior Joey Ehnes.

“I was mad,” said Pavey, a junior catcher from Spokane, Wash., of her game-winner.  “I was mad because it was me who got called out on a check-swing third strike with the bases loaded [in the sixth inning].  I just wanted to zone in on a pitch and make it mine.  It was anger and not wanting to screw up.”

Pavey had called pitches for the Yellowjacket hurlers all day from her catchers position.  She recognized the “drop out” from Sea Warriors pitcher Mallory Anderson on a 3-1 count and crushed the longest home run in the three years of softball at Cenex Stadium.  Yellowjacket assist coach Sean McGary, who is also involved with the maintenance of the field, estimated Pavey’s homer to be between 260 and 270 feet.  A college softball outfield fence is 200 feet from home plate.

“At the end of the road trip to Western New Mexico, I was guess-hitting a lot,” said Pavey.  “I was hoping for a fastball on this pitch, or a rise ball on this pitch.  Now I’m just seeing the ball better and hitting it where they put it.”

Pavey’s heroics were necessary after the Yellowjackets saw a 5-run first inning lead slowly evaporate.  Six of the first seven Yellowjackets that came to the plate in the first reached base, and five of those crossed home plate.  Ehnes doubled with the bases loaded to score Anna Henderson and Cami Rainey.  The next batter, first baseman Stephanie Cochrun, sent a 3-2 offering from Sea Warriors starter Clerisse Lemke over the right field fence for a three-run homer that gave the Jackets what looked to be a runaway lead.

The Sea Warriors chipped away, scoring a run in the second and another in the third off Yellowjacket starter Megan McCrae.  Jennifer Baron led off HPU’s half of the second with a home run over the center field fence to make the score 5-1.  Holly Garcia followed with a two-out shot in the top of the third to get the Sea Warriors to within 5-2. 

McCrae shut down the sea Warriors in the fourth, but ran into trouble again in the fifth when the first two pitches she through produced base runners.  Anuhea Diamond’s one-out single to center scored Brandy Choy Foo, who had reached on an error.  With the Yellowjackets’ lead down to just 5-3 and only one out, Ehnes replaced McCrae with runners on first and second.  She then proceeded to walk Baron on four pitches to load the bases. 

Ehnes recorded her biggest strikeout of the day on the next batter, sitting down Mallory Anderson on three pitches.  She then got Jamie Reyes to fly out to left to end the inning and momentarily save the lead. 

Hawaii Pacific looked as though it might be the team to pull off the dramatic win, touching Ehnes for two runs in the top of the sixth to tie the game at 5-5.  Choy Foo doubled off the bottom of the left-center field fence with one out to plate Malia Sullivan and Rachel Lacar.  Choy Foo was 2-for-5 in the game with two RBI and a run scored.  Lacar, Garcia and Baron also collected two hits apiece.

Ehnes forced the next two batters to pop up to second, ending the threat and setting up Pavey’s two chances.  With the bases loaded and two outs, Pavey’s check-swing strikeout put a stop to the best scoring opportunity either team had in the final two innings.  Ehnes struck out the side in the top of the seventh, and the Jackets managed just one base runner in the bottom half of the seventh. 

Hawaii Pacific advanced a runner to second in the top of the eighth inning, but two consecutive fly outs ended the inning.  The Yellowjackets’ Theresa Campbell reached on an error in the bottom of the eighth, advancing to second when Cochrun beat out an infield single.  Pavey followed with her walk off shot that gave MSU Billings its ninth win in its last 13 outings.

“We’ve battled so many top teams in the region, and we’ve lost so many close games because something hasn’t clicked,” said Pavey.  “It’s nice to be home and show people that we’re better than our record.”

The Yellowjackets improved to 18-26 overall and 2-12 in the PacWest with Saturday’s two wins.  Hawaii Pacific, which entered the week ranked third in the West Region, fell to 15-14 overall and 6-8 in the PacWest. 

Pavey was 3-for-5 in the game-two victory.  Cochrun went 3-for-4, scoring twice and driving in three runs.  Henderson was 2-for-5, and Campbell set a school single-game record by drawing four walks.

The Yellowjackets rode Ehnes to the victory in the day’s first game.  She struck out six and gave up just three hits in seven innings.  For the day, she fanned 10 and picked up two wins to improve to 15-15 for the season. 

“Joey is developing into one of the best pitchers in the PacWest, and maybe the West Region,” said Yellowjacket head coach Jeff Aumend.  “I think she’s better than her record indicates.”

The Jackets gave Ehnes all the runs she needed when they spotted her a 2-0 lead in the first inning of game one.  Ehnes’s single to center scored Sara Hanley, who had reached on a fielder’s choice two batters earlier.  Cochrun then plated Campbell from third when her hard grounder was mishandled by the shortstop. 

The Sea Warriors put a run on the board in the top of the sixth on a Choy Foo home run.  Choy Foo was 4-for-8 for the day with three RBI and two runs scored to lead the Sea Warriors.  The Yellowjackets matched the run with one of their own in the bottom of the sixth when Campbell homered, her third of the season, over the leftfield fence.

For the day, Pavey was 4-for-8 at the plate with three RBI and a run scored.  Ehnes was 3-for-8 with three RBI and a run scored, and Cochrun was 3-for-8 with four RBI and a run.

“I think the opportunity for our kids to win big games instead of lose big games is a reward for their hard work,” said Aumend.  “We’ve stepped up our schedule to play the best teams in the region, and we’ve made improvements to our program.  The games we won at the tournament in California last week and these two wins today were because our players persevered and played within a system that gives them opportunities to hit the ball in big situations.” 

The Yellowjackets and Sea Warriors will meet for an Easter Sunday doubleheader with the first game beginning at 1:30 p.m. at Cenex Stadium. 

Click HERE for photos of the Lady Yellowjackets vs. Hawaii Pacific University