Saints Drop Jackets 7-3 and 4-1, Split Series

Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Photo Gallery

BILLINGS, Mont. – On a day that saw brutally cold weather and a mix of sleet and hail, the Montana State Billings softball squad could not find a way to heat up and score runs, dropping a pair of games to Saint Martin’s University, 7-3 and 4-1 Saturday afternoon at Cenex Stadium. The Yellowjackets dropped to 14-17 on the season and 11-9 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

The Yellowjackets hit .226 as a team and left 12 runners on the base paths combined. Kaycee Hoffman led the way with a 3-for-7 day at the plate, including one run scored, a double, a home run and an RBI, while Jenna VanEyekeren with 2-for-6 on the day.

Joslyn Eugenio kept the MSUB bats quiet throughout much of game one, giving up three runs on six hits. The Saints took a 1-0 lead in the second inning after Kelsie McGladrey singled to centerfield to score Morgan Klemm before being thrown out at second.

Saint Martin’s blew the game wide open in the fourth inning when McGladrey hit a three-run bomb to left center followed by home runs from Emily Squiers and Kristi Sigafoos. The Saints finished the innings with a five runs on six hits and three homers.

Trailing 7-0 in the bottom of the seventh, MSUB tried to mount a comeback when Whitney Whittemore hit a two-run home run with Ashley Moeller, who was pinch running for VanEyekeren, on first. Two batters later, Hoffman took Eugenio deep to left for her fourth home run of the season, but that was all the Yellowjackets could get.

Lindsey Trenary took the loss, dropping to 9-5 on the season, after tossing 3 1/3, allowing six runs on seven hits. Josie Grotbo threw 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing one run on five hits.

In game two, Saint Martin’s jumped on the Yellowjackets early, scoring three runs, two from a two-run home run by Eugenio, on five hits.

MSUB was able to get runner on the bases but were unable to bring them back around to the plate, stranding 10 runners in the game. The lone run came in the third when Becca Frank, who was 3-for-4, hit a home run to left center to cut the lead to 3-1.

Saint Martin’s put one more on the board in the fifth to take a 4-1 lead. MSUB had their chance to tie the game in the seventh as they had runners on second and third with nobody out, but were unable to convert, going down on the next three batters.
Grotbo took the loss in game two, tossing 5 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on nine hits and striking out one. Trenary came in for relief, throwing 1 2/3 innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one.