Yellowjackets split 2 games in TOC finale Sunday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Sunday, April 2, 2017 Yellowjackets split 2 games in TOC finale Sunday

Earning a split on the final day of the Tournament of Champions Sunday, MSUB’s softball team loses to Academy of Art before defeating Holy Names University.

TURLOCK, Calif. – Earning a split on the final day of the Tournament of Champions hosted by Stanislaus State University, the Montana State University Billings softball team lost to the Academy of Art before rallying to beat Holy Names University on Sunday at two different fields.

The Yellowjackets (14-22) fell 9-1 to AAU in five innings at Warrior Softball Field in their first game of the day Sunday morning. MSUB then turned to junior Megan Dettling to throw her third complete game of the weekend and drive in two runs in an 8-4 win over HNU to close the tournament at Pedretti Sports Complex.

Heather Tracy went 3-for-4 with three runs on Sunday, and Cameron Cassinelli drove in a run in each game.

“We finished strong, and took care of business in that last game,” said MSUB head coach Jessica Rayman. “We did a good job bouncing back from the loss this morning, so that was good to see. Offensively we figured it out with eight runs, and that was a good way to finish the weekend after we had been struggling a little bit. Overall we feel good about the weekend. We played close games and didn’t crumble under pressure.”

Game 1 – Academy of Art 9, MSU Billings 1 (5 Innings) AAU pitcher Hannah Rose Balke got off to a strong start, working around a two-out error in the second inning and putting up a pair of zeroes to start the game.

The Knights had back-to-back singles in the bottom of the first, but Megan Dettling buckled down and ended the frame with a strikeout to strand a pair in scoring position. A leadoff walk in the second helped AAU plate its first run of the day, as Gabi Hirsch came through with an RBI single to make the score 1-0.

Juliana Lopez led off the third with a double, before Dom Seva’aetasi delivered a key two-out, two-run single to give the Knights a 3-0 edge.

MSUB responded at the plate in the top of the fourth, as Heather Tracy led off with a single up the middle. Fellow junior Cameron Cassinelli came through with a clutch, two-out, RBI-double to get MSUB on the board.

A six-run bottom of the fourth put MSUB in major trouble however, as AAU took advantage of three errors and a walk. Jessica West had a tworun double and Adrianna Rupright made the score 9-1 with a basesclearing three-run double with two outs.

Balke ended the game by setting down MSUB in order in the top of the fifth, facing just 18 hitters and striking out five with no walks. The Knights moved to 17-20 on the season after the win over MSUB.

Senior Bella Rovens went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in MSUB’s 8-4 win over Holy Names Sunday.

Dettling had four strikeouts and a pair of walks, allowing three runs on five hits in three innings.

Game 2 – MSU Billings 8, Holy Names 4 Dettling finished 3-for-4 and was one of four Yellowjackets with multiple hits in the solid victory. She did well to work out of immediate danger, as the Hawks loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the first but did not score. The junior threw out a runner at home, recorded a strikeout, and ended the threat with a ground ball.

MSUB rewarded Dettling with a run in the bottom of the frame, as Kelsey Devlin brought home Tracy with an RBI-single.

Madison Kelly helped Dettling erase a two-out single in the second, firing a strike down to Katlyn Stringari at second base to cut down the baserunner. The sophomore catcher proceeded to kick off a two-out rally in the bottom of the inning, doubling to left center and scoring on an ensuing hit by Tracy. Bella Rovens brought home two more runs with a double, giving the Yellowjackets a 4-1 advantage.

Devi Coglio helped manufacture a run with a ground ball and a stolen base, and an error by the ‘Jackets put HNU on the board in the top of the third.

Dettling and Cassinelli started the bottom of the third with back-to-back doubles, and Myrissa Prince added an RBIsingle to up the spread to 6-1.

Three singles loaded the bases for HNU in the fourth, and Coglio delivered a two-out, two-run base hit to help get her team back in the game.

Dettling once again helped her cause in the bottom of the sixth, bringing home Rovens and Devlin with a double into right field that made the score 8-3.

The ‘Jackets withstood a dangerous looking rally by HNU in the top of the seventh, as the Hawks loaded the bases and scored a run with no outs. With the tying run at the plate, Dettling found the zone and recorded three straight fly balls to end the game.

Dettling had two strikeouts and two walks, giving up four runs on 10 hits in the complete-game effort.

Hawks starting pitcher Dye Dyemond gave up two runs on five hits in two innings, and Anekaila Crevani and Courtney Tarbat combined to throw the final four frames in the circle. Coglio led the Hawks by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, and Jazmine Lewis also had multiple hits with a line of 2-for-3. HNU fell to 4-29 with Sunday’s loss to the Yellowjackets.

THE BUZZ: Rovens was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Tracy’s stolen base in the second game was the 36th of her career, moving her to No. 1 in MSUB history…Tracy now has 65 hits on the season, tied for the fifth-most in MSUB single-season history with Rovens’ total of 65 in 2015…Game 2 was Dettling’s first-career multi-double game.

NEXT UP: MSUB resumes GNAC play with a four-game home series against Central Washington running April 14-15 at Avitus Group Stadium.

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