FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Wednesday, March 8, 2017 Bats stay hot in doubleheader split at CU Wednesday
Heather Tracy goes 5-for-7 with seven RBIs, three runs scored, and two home runs, and Maddy Lincoln tosses another gem to help MSUB split a doubleheader at Concordia on Wednesday. PORTLAND, Ore. – Reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Week Heather Tracy went 5-for-7 with seven RBIs, three runs scored, and two home runs for the Montana State University Billings softball team Wednesday, helping the Yellowjackets to a doubleheader split at Concordia University at Porter Park. MSUB’s 15-3 victory in Game 1 ensured the overall series win, after the Yellowjackets swept the ‘Cavs in a doubleheader on Tuesday. The home team rallied with a nine-run fourth inning in the finale however, salvaging a 12-4 win in five innings to prevent being swept. Freshman left-hander Maddy Lincoln pushed her streak of complete games to six, allowing just five hits and matching her season best with seven strikeouts in the opener. Cameron Cassinelli joined Tracy with a home run in each game, and Kelsey Devlin hit a three-run homer in Game 1 Wednesday.
The Yellowjackets moved to 9-12 overall with the split, and remain atop the early GNAC standings with a league record of 5-3. Concordia’s record went to 8-9, and the ‘Cavs are now 1-3 in league play. Game 1 – MSU Billings 15, Concordia 3 MSUB exploded for 10 runs over the final two innings, turning a 5-3 lead into a convincing 15-3 victory. Tracy, Devlin, and Cassinelli all homered to back the stellar performance by Lincoln. The left-hander needed 182 pitches to get through her complete-game win on Tuesday, but found her groove on Wednesday as she threw just 104 to beat the ‘Cavs. Lincoln allowed a season-low five hits, and walked just two while giving up three runs. The Yellowjackets struck first, as a hit batter and a walk set the table for Cassinelli in the first inning. The junior drilled her 23rd career home run over the fence in left-center, giving MSUB a solid 3-0 advantage. The ‘Cavs were quick to respond, taking advantage of a throwing error and using a groundout to get a pair of runs back against Lincoln in the bottom of the frame. Tracy picked up her first RBI of the day with a base hit to right in the second, but CU pitcher Tori Muir kept MSUB’s offense in check for the next several innings. She retired 7 of 8 batters with three strikeouts Kelsey Devlin homered in Game 1 to help the ‘Jackets to a through the middle innings, and the ‘Jackets didn’t score again until a big 15-3 victory. solo homer by Tracy in the top of the fifth. The long ball ended Muir’s day, after five runs on four hits with six strikeouts and three walks through four innings pitched. Lincoln meanwhile had flushed her first-inning jitters, and received a little help from her similarly-named battery mate Madison Kelly. The sophomore erased an error by Lincoln by throwing out a baserunner in the second, and she nailed another in the sixth to limit CU’s running game. A one-out single by Smith in the bottom of the third cut the Cavaliers’ deficit to just one run, but it was the final time a CU runner crossed the plate in Game 1. Lincoln had a string of seven straight hitters retired into the bottom of the sixth, before ending the frame by stranding runners at the corners. The ‘Jackets opened up their lead in the top of the sixth, loading the bases with a base hit by Nicole Tiffany, an error, and a walk. Bella Rovens followed with a bases-loaded free pass, Tracy had a two-run single, and Devlin lofted a sacrifice fly into right-center to complete the four-run rally. MSUB left no doubt with six more runs in the seventh, as six different players had RBIs including three on Devlin’s blast over the left-field fence.
No ‘Cavs player had more than one hit against Lincoln, and CU left four runners on base in the game. Game 2 – Concordia 12, MSU Billings 4 (5 Innings) Things started promising offensively, as Tracy blasted her second homer of the day over the fence in right in the top of the first inning. Megan Dettling followed with an RBI-single in the first, Tracy drove in another with a hit in the second, and Cassinelli hit her second long ball of the day in the third to give MSUB a 4-0 lead. Twelve Cavaliers came to bat and nine scored in the bottom of the fourth however, as CU took its first lead of the series with a big 10-4 advantage. Courtney Somers drilled a three-run home run to get the scoring started, and Taylor Bussey unleashed a two-out grand slam to cap the rally. MSUB managed just two baserunners – on an error and a hit batter – after CU’s big inning, as the ‘Jackets never threatened to cut into the deficit. McKenzie Smith ended the game with an RBI-double in the bottom of the fifth, as the eight-run rule was applied after 4 2/3 innings of play. Concordia’s Jessica Lambourn earned the win in the circle, striking out four and walking one with six hits and four runs allowed in five innings. Taylor Tokach threw the final 1 2/3 innings for the ‘Jackets, allowing four runs on five hits. Dettling started for the ‘Jackets, striking out three and allowing eight runs on five hits with two walks in three innings. THE BUZZ: Tracy was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…she extended her season-long hitting streak to 21 games, tying her for the fourth-longest hitting streak in GNAC history…Tracy is batting .500 this season (40-for80)…Tokach’s at-bat in the fifth inning was the first of her career…Devlin is now tied for fourth in MSUB history with 25 home runs and Cassinelli is tied for sixth with 24…Cassinelli moved to No. 6 in MSUB history with 96 RBIs and Devlin cracked into the top-10 with 88. COMING UP: MSUB is scheduled for a four-game series at Saint Martin’s running Friday and Saturday in Lacey, Wash. Doubleheaders are set for 2 p.m. Mountain time on Day 1 and 1 p.m. Mountain time on Day 2, and live stats will be available online through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--