Jackets Pound Saints for Doubleheader Sweep, 8-4 and 13-4

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Photo Gallery

BILLINGS, Mont. – The bats finally came to life for the Montana State Billings softball team, combining for 25 hits in 12 innings of play, as they pounded out 21 runs in a pair of victories over visiting Saint Martin’s University at Cenex Stadium on Friday. The Yellowjackets took game one 8-4 then ended game two early as Rachel Eisenmann hit a three-run home run in the fifth to send MSUB to a 13-4 victory.

Eisenmann led the way for the Jackets, going 3-for-5 with four runs scored, six RBI and hit her first home run of the season. Kelly Parsons also had an exceptional day with a 3-for-5 performance that included three runs, a pair of doubles, four RBI and a home run that traveled over the scoreboard in left centerfield.

Amanda Goings extended her season-long hitting streak to eight games with a 4-for-8 performance with two runs and an RBI, while Whitney Whittemore had a team-high five runs in a 4-for-8 effort that included a pair of RBI and two doubles.

The Yellowjackets got off to a hot start in game one as Goings and Whittemore both reached base safely to put two on with one out. Parsons then hit her home run off of Saint’s pitcher, Joslyn Eugenio, to give MSUB a 3-0 lead.

The Saints struck for three runs on four hits and an error in the top of the second to pull even with MSUB, but the Jackets pulled ahead in the bottom of the third. With two outs, Eisenmann walked followed by another walk from Becca Frank to put runners at first and second when Angela Lingle delivered a single through the right side past a diving Kristi Sigafoos to give MSUB a 4-3 lead.

After SMU tied the game at 4-4 in the top of the fifth, MSUB knocked in a pair of runs with the bases loaded as Amanda Hood singled into right field to score Frank and Eisenmann for a 6-4 lead. The Jackets took the lead and added two more runs in sixth when Eisenmann doubled to score Parsons and Whittemore.

Yellowjacket pitcher, Lindsey Trenary, closed down the Saints in the final two innings to win her ninth game of the season and improve to 9-4 on the season. Trenary threw a complete game, surrendering four runs, three earned, on eight hits while fanning six in the winning effort.

Defensively the Yellowjackets committed just one error as the Saints had two. The Yellowjackets scored eight runs, seven earned, off of 12 hits against Eugenio and Cassy South, as Eugenio took the loss and fell to 4-9 on the year.
MSUB again jumped out to an early lead in game two, staking a 2-0 lead after the first inning as Whittemore drove in a run with a double and Eisenmann walked with the bases loaded for the second.

In the top half of the second, Jenna VanEyekeren combined with Kaycee Hoffman for the play of the day defensively for MSUB. The play occurred when Kelsie McGladrey hit the ball off of Hoffman’s mitt which bounced to a diving VanEyekeren who then threw the ball back to Hoffman for the out.

Two more runs came in the third with two outs when Hood singled up the middle to score Lingle, then Goings singled behind second base to score Madison Smith from third.

After a defensive let down in the top of the fourth allowed four runs to score for the Saints and tie the game at 4-4, MSUB erupted in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead for good.

Whittemore singled to lead-off the inning and then advanced to second on a single by Parsons who was replaced at first for a pinch-running Ashley Moeller. Hoffman then reached on a throwing error by pitcher Amanda Arnzen, which allowed Whittmore and Moeller to score.

After Eisenmann walked and a pitching change occurred, SMU’s Brittany Klemm was charged for an illegal pitch, which allowed the runners to take second and third. Lingle then tapped a slow roller to short stop for an RBI, then Hood singled with two outs to score Eisenmann as part of a four-run fourth.

The Yellowjackets ended the game in the fifth after Frank walked then used her speed to score from first after a Whittemore double to right center. Parsons then drove in Whittemore with her own double to right center. Kielie Hilliard came in to pinch-hit for Hoffman and slapped a single to center to move Parsons to third.

With runners on the corners, Eisenmann drove Klemm’s pitch deep into left center and off of the batting cage for a three-run bomb to end the game at 13-4. The Yellowjackets finished the game with 13 runs on 13 hits, committing three errors in the game.

Pitcher Josie Grotbo took the win and improved to 3-5 on the season, tossing five innings with four runs, one earned, on six hit and striking out one.