Jacket Softball Drops Heartland Opener (3/29/06)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SILVER CITY, NM – The Montana State-Billings softball team dropped both ends of a Heartland Conference doubleheader on Wednesday, falling 8-0 and 2-1 to Western New Mexico.  With the losses the Yellowjackets fell to 7-19 overall and 0-2 in the conference.  The Mustangs moved above the .500 mark, improving to 15-14 overall and 8-2 in the Heartland.

“I think we’re starting to make the necessary adjustments defensively and mentally,” said Yellowjacket head coach Sean McGary.  “Now we just have to make the offensive adjustments and put the ball in play.  We put no pressure on them in the first game.  That was the characteristic of both games.  We didn’t get as much offensive pressure as we would like.”

The Mustangs’ offense was in high gear in the opening game, and pitcher Molly Yetman was almost untouchable on the rubber.  Western scored two runs in each of the first two innings, added three more in the fourth, and ended the game via the eight-run rule with a run in the bottom of the sixth.

Yetman scattered five hits over six innings to improve to 8-4.  She struck out 10 Yellowjackets and allowed just two runners to advance past second base.  The Mustang offense pounded out 13 base hits off Yellowjacket starter Terina Stacks (Fr., Washougal, WA), who dropped to 0-7.  Western’s Meredith Drahota and Shaunna York were each 3-for-4 with two RBI.  Rachel Quarnburg (Jr., Billings, MT) led the Jackets at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two singles.  Anna Henderson (Sr., Frenchtown, MT), Cari Dunlap (Jr., Billings, MT) and Stephanie Gosselin (Fr., Brentwood Bay, BC) also had hits for the Jackets. 

In game two, Yellowjacket pitcher Lisa Moore (Fr., Bakersfield, CA) matched Yetman’s game-one performance for six innings.  The freshman hurler allowed just two hits and struck out six through the first six innings, setting the side down in order in the first, fourth, and fifth innings.  The Yellowjackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fifth inning when Moore drove in Jessica Frank (So., Great Falls, MT) from second base.  Frank had singled to lead off the inning and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jenna McCartney (Jr., Victor, MT).

“Other than maybe getting a little tight in the seventh inning, Lisa pitched a great game,” said McGary.  “When she pitches like that, if she gets run support, there’s not a team we can’t play with.  She had great velocity and control.  It was a great performance, and I wish we could have supported her offensively.”

The Mustangs broke through in the bottom of the seventh to steal the 2-1 victory.  Tiffany DeVaurs led off the inning with a double off the top of the centerfield fence.  Debbie Yescas followed with a double to the gap to score DeVaurs.  Yescas advanced to third on a sac bunt by Erica Beltran then scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

DeVaurs was 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  Six different Yellowjackets had one hit apiece off Mustang pitchers Beltran and Priscilla Garcia.  Garcia earned the win to improve to 6-9.  Crystal Bentley (Fr., Bothell, WA), Henderson, Quarnburg, Christy Wankel (Sr., Great Falls, MT), Frank, and Moore each singled in the game for MSU Billings.

The same teams will meet again Thursday afternoon in Silver City.  The first game of the scheduled doubleheader starts at noon.  Following Thursday’s games, the Yellowjackets will continue their conference trip with eight games in San Antonio between April 1 and April 4.