Haacke’s Homer Lifts Jackets at HC Tourney
Jackets Fall in Late Game to Defending Champs
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
HC Tournament Page

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Montana State-Billings softball team opened the Heartland Conference Tournament with a 4-1 win over Oklahoma Panhandle State Thursday afternoon.  Jenna Haacke’s sixth-inning home run broke open a 2-1 game, sending the Yellowjackets to the late quarterfinal game against host St. Mary’s University.  The No. 2 Rattlers jumped ahead 5-1 and held on for a 5-3 win.

The Yellowjackets (25-23) dropped to the loser out bracket where they will face Lincoln University (14-28) at 10:00 a.m. MDT on Friday.  The fifth-seeded Blue Tigers lost 7-0 to Incarnate Word (19-32) in the tournament’s opening game. In Friday’s second loser out game, Oklahoma Panhandle State (8-40) will face Incarnate Word at 12:30 p.m.  The Cardinals lost to No. 1 St. Edward’s.  The winners of the loser out games will meet at 5:30 p.m. Friday.  St. Ed’s (40-14) and St. Mary’s (40-16) will meet in the semifinals at 3:00 p.m.

In the Jackets’ win over OPSU, the sixth-seeded Aggies gave the No. 3 Yellowjackets a scare for five and a half innings.  MSUB broke a scoreless tie in the bottom of the third inning when Terina Stacks (Washougal, WA) singled to drive in Lorel Palmer (Ogden, UT).  The Aggies tied the game in the top of the sixth inning on a Courtney Harris RBI single.  Harris drove in Krystal Comeaux, who had doubled to lead off the inning against Yellowjacket starter Lindsey Trenary (Helena, MT).

MSU Billings used four hits to score three runs in the bottom half of the sixth, breaking the game open and avoiding a first round upset.  After an infield single, Stacks scored from first base on a Leslie Davis (Federal Way, WA) double.  Jessica Frank (Great Falls, MT) followed with a walk, and Haacke (Billings, MT) blasted her sixteenth career home run over the centerfield fence.  It was Haacke’s second home run in eight games at Rattler Field.

The three-run lead was enough for Trenary, who allowed just one hit in the seventh inning.  Trenary improved to 6-4 on the season, giving up seven hits and one run in seven innings of work.  She struck out six and walked two. 

Stacks continued her torrid pace at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a run and an RBI.  She entered the tournament with a league-best .405 batting average.  Senior Aysha Maddox (Richland, WA) was 2-for-3.  Haacke, Davis, and Jenna McCartney (Hamilton, MT) were each 1-for-3.

Trenary got the call again in the Jackets’ second game, but was battered early by the Rattlers’ high powered offense.  She gave up 11 hits and five earned runs in 4 1/3 innings, dropping to 6-5.  Rebehak Tsatsa (Eagle, ID) replaced Trenary in the fifth inning, holding the Rattlers to just one hit over the final 1 2/3 innings.

The Yellowjackets made a run at the Rattlers in the fifth and sixth innings.  Frank led off the fifth inning, sending a 3-2 pitch off Rattlers starter Malissa Magee over the left field fence.  It was Frank’s first home run of the season.  After STMU replaced Magee in the top of the sixth, the Jackets promptly put the pressure on reliever Brittany Kettinger. 

Stacks started the Jackets’ sixth inning rally with a one out single up the middle.  She moved to second on a wild pitch and to third on a Haacke single.  Stacks scored when Steph Gosselin (Victoria, BC) reached on an error.  Two batters later, Davis grounded out to drive in Haacke from third.  That was where the steam ran out on the Jackets’ chances, however, as they stranded runners on second and third.  Magee re-entered to pitch the seventh inning and retired the side in order, including two strikeouts.

Magee gave up just two hits and one run in six innings.  The reigning conference pitcher of the year improved to 25-8.  Mary K. Pederson, Kelcy Walker, Kettinger, Nikki Flores, and Jenna Saucedo each had two hits apiece for St. Mary’s.  Kettinger scored twice.

Stacks was 2-for-3 in the game for the Jackets.  Her 5-for-6 day at the plate improved her conference-leading batting average to .421.  Stacks, the league’s top hitter, was 1-for-2 against Magee, the league’s top pitcher.  Frank was 2-for-2 with a home run and a stolen base, and Haacke was 1-for-3.  Gosselin went 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.  Ranked 13th in the nation for fewest strikeouts per at bat, Saturday was the first time Gosselin has fanned since May 1 and just her fourth and fifth strikeouts of the year.