Lady Jackets Stun Co-Champs at Heartland Tourney (4/27/06)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX – On the brink of having their season ended, the Montana State-Billings softball team rallied for a split at the Heartland Conference Championship Tournament on Thursday.  The Yellowjackets, seeded fifth in the five-team tourney, lost the day’s opening game to host and fourth-seed St. Mary’s University, 7-1.  The young Lady Jacket squad rebounded in the nightcap by shocking regular season co-champion Incarnate Word, 6-5 in eight innings. 

MSU Billings moved to 20-30 overall and remained alive in the tournament.  The Yellowjackets continue at the tourney with a 1:00 p.m. game on Friday against St. Mary’s.  The winner advances to the 7:00 p.m. semifinal game.  The Rattlers lost their afternoon game against top-seeded St. Edward’s.  Incarnate Word, which was the Heartland Conference regular season co-champion with St. Edward’s and the No. 2 seed at the tournament, was the first team sent home after dropping both games on Thursday.  St. Edward’s will meet Western New Mexico in the winner bracket semifinal at 4:00 p.m. Friday.

“It was a great game,” said Yellowjacket head coach Sean McGary of the win over the Cardinals.  “It had it all—home runs, sacrifice bunts, lead changes.  It was nice to finally beat Incarnate Word.  It’s nice to come back and win after not playing well earlier in the day. "

The Yellowjackets struck first in the bottom of the third inning when Jenna McCartney (Jr., Victor, MT) tripled to right field and was driven in by Megan Moeller (Jr., Ontario, OR).  It was a sign of things to come for Moeller, who would have a deciding role in extra innings.

The Yellowjackets carried the 1-0 lead through four innings, but would have to battle from behind twice.  UIW scored a pair of runs in the top of the fifth inning for a 2-1 lead.  MSUB answered with two runs of their own in the bottom of the fifth to regain the lead, 3-2.  Moeller and Stephanie Rinehart (Fr., Gig Harbor, WA) scored in the inning.

After the Cardinals again rallied with three runs in the top half of the sixth for a 5-3 advantage, the Jackets responded with two runs in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game and eventually force extra innings.  Jenna Haacke (So., Billings, MT) led off the sixth with a single.  Ashley Powell (Fr., Missoula, MT) pinch ran for Haacke on first and was driven in one batter later by senior Christy Wankel (Great Falls, MT) who hit her 21^st career home run to tie the game 5-5.

Following a scoreless seventh inning, the Jackets shut down the Cardinals in the top of the eighth with Lisa Moore (Fr., Bakersfield, CA) retiring the side in order.  That set up the Jackets with Moeller leading off the bottom of the eighth.  She doubled to center and was sacrificed to third by Jessica Frank (So., Great Falls, MT).  Freshman Stephanie Gosselin (Brentwood Bay, BC) then hit a seeing-eye single through the middle of the infield for the winning RBI.

Moore earned the win to improve to 8-13.  She allowed three hits and struck out two in 2 2/3 innings of relief.  Starter Terina Stacks (Fr., Washougal, WA) went 5 1/3, giving up six hits and four earned runs.  Stacks, a drop ball pitcher, started both games for the Yellowjackets on Thursday.

“It’s tough to get motivated after playing early in the day and then waiting to play the night game,” added McGary.  “Terina started great and Lisa came in and threw great innings after that.  When we faced them down here earlier in the year, their best hitters struggled with Terina a little.  We thought they were more susceptible to the drop as opposed to Lisa’s velocity.  We felt we’d ride with Terina and bring Lisa in later.  They have a lot of slappers too, so we thought forcing them to play the ball down would suit our defense.”

Moeller was 2-for-3 with a double, two runs, and an RBI.  McCartney went 2-for-3 with a run and a triple.  Wankel was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBI.  Gosselin was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs.  The Yellowjackets out-hit the Cardinals 11-9.  UIW’s Melissa Perez went 3-for-4 with a run.

In the opening game, the Jackets were swarmed by two big innings.  The Rattlers plated three in the bottom of the third and three more in the fifth.  MSU Billings didn’t get on the board until the top of the seventh inning when Gosselin drew a bases loaded walk to score Rinehart.  The Rattlers’ Malissa Magee was able to work out of the jam, however, and close out the inning for the win.  The Yellowjackets stranded seven runners in the game.

Stacks took the loss, giving up nine hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings.  Only three of the runs were earned as the Jackets committed two errors.  Moore pitched the final 1 1/3 innings for MSUB, allowing a hit and a run.  Haacke and Wankel led the Yellowjacket hitters, each going 2-for-3.  Rachel Quarnburg (Jr., Billings, MT) was 1-for-3 with a double.  Magee went the distance for the Rattlers’ victory.  She allowed six hits and one earned run while striking out seven.  St. Mary’s had 10 hits as a team.  Tiffani Craft, Terrie Cox, Jessica Romero, and Mary Pederson had two hits apiece.  Romero also drove in a pair.