Softball Weekly Release - April 8, 2009

Complete Release

THIS WEEK:  Montana State Billings is finally back in action after almost two weeks.  The Yellowjackets will host Western Oregon, Apr. 10-11, Fri.-Sat., in a critical Great Northwest Athletic Conference series.

MSUB currently leads the GNAC at 17-5 with the Wolves in third at 13-8.  Both days are scheduled to start at 1:00 p.m.

WESTERN OREGON:  The Wolves are 13-8 in the GNAC and 15-15 overall.  Tyler Sutherland leads the charge with 16 doubles and four home runs, 32 runs, 21 RBI’s, 13 stolen bases and is hitting .434.  On the mound, Jessica Wood is 7-5 with 85 strikeouts and a 2.95 ERA.

The two teams met in Monmouth on Feb. 21-22.  On the 21st,  Western Oregon took the sweep, 3-2, 3-0.  In the first game, Western Oregon scored in its first at-bat.  With runners at the corners, a wild pitch advanced both runners to make it 1-0.  In the top of the second inning, Dawn Norcross homered to centerfield to tie the game at 1-1.

In the third inning, the Wolves found the plate twice.  WOU led off with a walk and double.  After two strikeouts, Krysta Pennington singled to centerfield to drive in both runners.  That made it 3-1 in favor of Western Oregon.

Kelly Parsons led off the fourth with a walk and was replaced by Amanda Goings as a pinch runner.  Whitney Whittemore singled down the right field line and advanced to third when the second baseman made a bad throw on the relay.  That error allowed Goings to score and make it 3-2.

In the second game, Western Oregon scored one run each in the third, fourth and fifth innings.

On the 22nd, MSUB returned the favor winning 6-5, 10-8.  In the first game, Montana State Billings started out strong.  Amanda Goings drew a walk and Steph Gosselin blasted a pitch over the left field fence to make it 2-0.  Rebekah Tsatsa followed her with a solo shot to right center field.

Western Oregon came back in the bottom of the first scoring a run off an error.  In the second, Gosselin flew out to centerfield and Stevie Howard scored after the catch to make it 4-1.  In the fifth inning, the Wolves got a two run, two out single from Jessica Lessard to close the gap to one, 4-3.

The Yellowjackets got a little breathing room in the top of the seventh.  With two outs, Leslie Davis was on second and Whitney Whittemore was at first.  Alyssa Frank came in to pitch hit and ripped a double to center field to score Davis and Whittemore.

WOU refused to go gentle into the night in the bottom of the seventh.  Tyler Sutherland reached on an error and moved to third on a double by Amanda Fleer.  The Wolves got a ground out to advance both runners.  Kylee Hancock singled to left field to score Fleer and make it 6-5.  Lisa Moore then fielded a ground ball and threw the runner out at first to end the game.

The Yellowjackets got off to a good start to open the second game.  With runners on the corners, Frank walloped a double down the left field line to score both runners.  In the second inning, Terina Stacks laid down a squeeze bunt.  The pitcher threw the ball home but Goings slid under the tag.

Western Oregon picked up a run in the bottom of the second to make it 3-1.  In the top of the third, Frank and Whittemore both reached on Wolves errors.  Jenna VanEykeren singled to right center field to move Whittemore to second and score Frank.

Goings came in to pinch hit and grounded out to advance both runners.  Shay Oberg then laced a triple down the right field line to score Whittemore and VanEykeren.  Stacks stepped up to the plate and belted a double to left field to score Oberg and make it 7-1 Yellowjackets.

Western Oregon came back with two runs in the bottom of the third.  MSUB scored one in the fourth and two in the fifth to push the lead to seven, 10-3.  The Wolves came back with one in the fifth to make it 10-4.

In the sixth, Western Oregon started making things happen.  Rachelle Knuth singled to the left side.  Following a fly out, Emily Kenagy doubled down the left field line to move Knuth to third.  Sutherland than hit a three run shot to make it 10-7.  A single and a fielder’s choice put a runner on first with two outs.  With the runner going, Krystal Pennington hit a shot to left center field that scored the runner.

MSUB got the first two batters out to start the bottom of the seventh.  WOU mounted a comeback attempt with a walk, single and error to load the bases.  The Jackets got Fleer to ground out to shortstop to end the game.

TWO WEEKS AGO:  Montana State Billings had a strong week winning four of six games. On Mar. 18, MSUB swept the University of Mary, 8-2 and 8-2.  On Mar. 21-22, the Yellowjackets split a four game series with Central Washington to remain in first place in the GNAC.

On the 21st, MSUB lost 3-2 in 11 innings and then bounced back to win 9-6.  On the 22nd they reversed it winning the first 3-1 and losing the nightcap 3-2.

For the week, Terina Stacks had two doubles, scored six runs, drove in one run and hit .500 while Steph Gosselin had two doubles, one home run, scored three runs and batted .474.  Kelly Parsons had a strong week with three home runs, scored six runs, drove in six runs and hit .412.

On the mound, Lisa Moore was 2-0 and gave up 10 hits, three runs, walked eight and struck out 18 for a 1.17 ERA in 18 innings.  Kasie Conder went 1-1 and gave up 11 hits, six runs, five of them earned, walked one and struck out 18 for a 2.62 ERA in 13 and 2/3rd innings.

RBI RECORD:  On March 18 against the University of Mary, the career RBI record was broken, tied and broken.  In the first game, Steph Gosselin drove in Terina Stacks in the first inning.  That was Gosselin’s 92nd career RBI breaking a three way tie.

In the second inning, Stacks doubles to drive in Kelly Parsons for her 92nd career RBI to tie Gosselin.  In the first innings of the second game, Gosselin drove in Stacks to take back the RBI mark with 93.

RECORD CHASERS:   The Yellowjackets are already hard at work rewriting the individual career record book.  Earlier this season, Terina Stacks became the all-time leader in hits (187), runs (104) and total bases (274).  Three other records are being challenged as well.

Steph Gosselin is currently the all-time leader in RBI’s with 96 and Stacks is close behind at 93.

Stacks has 741 putouts to break the career record of 727 while Leslie Davis has accumulated 273 assists and needs 30 to break the record of 299.

WEST REGION POLL:   Montana State Billings is currently ranked seventh in the NCAA Division II West Region Poll as of Apr. 8.  In parentheses is where they are ranked nationally.

         1.        Humboldt State (6)
         2.        Hawaii Pacific (11)
         3.        Cal State Stanislaus
         4.        Dixie State (19)
         5.        UC San Diego
         6.        Sonoma State (39)
         7.        Montana State Billings
         8.        Cal State Dominguez Hills
         9.        San Francisco State
                10.          Grand Canyon

FIRST-FIRST:  Montana State Billings currently leads the GNAC with a mark of 15-5.  In addition 11 times this season, the Yellowjackets have scored at least one run  in the first inning of a GNAC game.  MSUB is 11-0 in those games.

GNAC PLAYERS OF THE WEEK:  They should start calling it the GNAC MSUB Player of the Week Award.  The Yellowjackets have had at least one player been named POW six of the eight weeks it has been awarded.  The latest recipient is Kasie Conder for the week of Mar. 30.

HOME COOKING:  They say there is no place like home.  That is definitely true for Montana State Billings.  Since Cenex Stadium was built in 2002, the Yellowjackets have won 86 games against just 19 defeats.  That equates to a winning percentage of .819.  In addition, MSUB has won its last 10 games at Cenex.

GNAC POLL:  The bull’s-eye has been hung on the Montana State Billings’s softball team.  The Yellowjackets have been picked to win the GNAC according to the Preseason Softball Poll.  MSUB received 33 points to 32 points for defending champion, Western Oregon.

Both teams garnered three first places votes but MSUB got the edge with three second place votes to two seconds and one third for the Wolves.  Western Washington received 23 points to take third place.  Rounding out the poll was Central Washington (18), Saint Martin’s (13) and Northwest Nazarene (7).

After a slow start, MSUB caught fire, winning 21 of its last 27 games.  The Jackets finished 16-8, third in the GNAC and 28-21 overall.  The Yellowjackets returned 10 letterwinners including five all-conference selections.

“As far as being picked the preseason number one in the coaches poll, it’s no doubt a very high compliment,” Said head coach Anthony Stone.  “I have a tremendous amount of respect for the coaches in our conference, and I think it says something special not only for our team, but for the conference overall. The GNAC is highly competitive, and I think the rest of the coaches would agree with me that there are no “gimmes” here. You better come ready to play everyday, because the day you don’t is the day you can get beat by anyone. I think that’s what makes it so much fun, is that up and down the league, you have to play your best against everyone.”