FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Sunday, April 17, 2016 ‘Jackets led by Dettling, Roark, Tracy in doubleheader split with Concordia Sunday
Megan Dettling and Amanda Roark combine to pitch MSUB to a 9-6 win in Game 1, and GNAC hitting leader Heather Tracy has five hits and a home run as the Yellowjackets split a conference doubleheader with Concordia on Sunday. BILLINGS, Mont. – Megan Dettling and Amanda Roark combined to pitch the Montana State University Billings softball team to a 9-6 win over Concordia University in Game 1 of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader on Saturday, and Heather Tracy continued to lead the league in hitting with five hits overall in the split on Sunday afternoon at Avitus Group Stadium. In her longest outing in a month, Dettling allowed three runs on six hits with six strikeouts in five innings. Roark tossed the final two frames to earn her first save of the year, and the ‘Jackets used a 3-for-4 performance from Tracy including her seventh home run of the year in the victory. The Cavaliers scored four runs in the second, third, and fourth innings of Game 2 however, and hit four home runs to beat the ‘Jackets 13-3 in five innings in the series finale and win the four-game set 3-1. “The first game was a really good one for us overall, and our pitching staff did a great job,” commented MSUB head coach Rebekah Gasner on the Game 1 victory. “Megan came out and started strong, and Amanda came on and shut
them down again. Our offense was really on, and they just had fun up in the box. They were relaxed and confident, and we were able to get runners on and bring them in.” MSUB is now 11-35 on the year and 3-21 in conference play, while Concordia sits at 29-18 overall and 14-8 in GNAC games. Game 1 – MSU Billings 9, Concordia 6 A five-run, fourth-inning rally pushed MSUB ahead 6-1, and the ‘Jackets added three more in the fifth to thwart CU’s comeback effort and snap a 12-game losing streak. All five of the Yellowjackets’ runs in the fourth were scored with two outs, as Katlyn Stringari, Bella Rovens, Cori Gammon, and Tracy had consecutive singles to break the game open. The Cavs responded with three runs in the top of the fifth, as Taylor Copher drilled a two-run home run over the fence in left field to highlight the rally. A pair of fielding errors to start the bottom of the inning set the ‘Jackets up to capitalize again however, and Kelsey Devlin delivered a big two-run double to push the lead back to 8-3. Myrissa Prince followed with an RBI-single, plating the final run of the game in the win for the ‘Jackets.
The GNAC’s leading hitter in 2016, Heather Tracy went 5-for-7 in Sunday’s doubleheader and hit her seventh home run of the year.
Dettling worked around a one-out walk in the first inning, and retired seven of the first nine batters she faced with three strikeouts. She didn’t allow a hit until Meghan Luebbert’s single in the third, which led to a bases-loaded jam.
In the single toughest at bat of the day, Dettling struck out shortstop Taylor Bussey on the 11th pitch after CU’s thirdplace hitter fouled off four consecutive 3-2 offerings. Dettling backed it up with a five-pitch strikeout of Copher, stranding the bases loaded and keeping the score at 1-0. “Today I just had the mindset to have fun and throw strikes, and do my job the best I can,” Dettling commented. “It helps to have the defense behind me and to have the offense score some runs.” The ‘Cavs threatened again in the fourth, but three foul balls snagged by Cameron Cassinelli helped Dettling avoid a pair of baserunners and put up another zero. Inheriting two runners with no outs in the sixth, Roark struck out the first batter she faced and never looked back as she followed Dettling’s lead and stranded the bases loaded a second time. Tracy led off the sixth with her third hit of the day and stole second, but she was left on third base as the score remained 9-3.
Roark shook off a three-run home run by Jamie Martin in the top of the seventh, and retired the next two hitters on ground balls to end the game for the ‘Jackets. CU starter Jessica Lambourn took the loss, allowing nine runs – two earned – on nine hits with two strikeouts and three walks in four innings. Mattie Boucher tossed the final two innings for the Cavs, allowing just one hit and striking out three Yellowjackets. Game 2 – Concordia 13, MSU Billings 3 (5 Innings) The fourth-through-seventh hitters in CU’s lineup each had a tworun home run, as three big scoring innings proved to be the difference in the nightcap between the teams. Five different Cavaliers drove in two runs in the game, as CU backed a five-inning complete-game effort by Boucher on the mound. The ‘Jackets struck first as Nicole Tiffany came through with an RBIsingle down the line in right in the bottom of the first inning. Tiffany helped the ‘Jackets create their second run of the inning as well, as she and Tracy pulled off a double steal from the corners and gave MSUB a 2-0 lead.
Senior Amanda Roark earned her first save of the year in Game 1, and also finished the second game in the circle for the ‘Jackets.
The two-run burst came after MSUB starter Taylor Tokach posted a 1-2-3 first inning, but the ‘Cavs took the lead in the top of the second. Catcher Courtney Somers lined a home run over the leftfield fence, and an ensuing walk and single put two runners on with two outs. With the leadoff hitter at the plate, Tracy came through with the defensive play of the day in right field. Luebbert punched a two-run double into the corner, but Tracy’s throw from the fence carried all the way to Devlin on the bag at third and cut down the speedy center fielder to end the inning.
“I saw it go down the line, so I just tried to run my fastest to get it,” Tracy said on tracking down the ball in the corner. “I just threw it as far as I could because I knew that she was going to try to take three.” Boucher settled into a groove over the second and third innings, and by the time the ‘Jackets scored again she had a 122 lead. Rovens supplied MSUB’s final run of the day, as she dropped a double over the head of CU left fielder Megan Sakauye to score pinch runner Alyssa Yaeger from second. Bussey picked up an RBI-single in the top of the fifth to make it 13-3, and Boucher completed the game with a quick bottom of the fifth. Tokach allowed eight runs on eight hits with one strikeout and one walk in 2 2/3 innings. Roark threw the final 2 1/3 in relief, giving up five runs on five hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Copher and Martin homered in each game for the Cavaliers, who totaled six long balls in the doubleheader. THE BUZZ: Tracy was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Tracy entered the day as the GNAC’s leading hitter at .441 on the year, and went 5-for-7 with an RBI, two runs scored, and three stolen bases…Dettling’s 121
pitches were the fourth most in a game this season for the sophomore…MSUB made just two errors defensively in the doubleheader. NEXT UP: The 2016 season concludes next weekend with a four-game home series against Northwest Nazarene University at Avitus Group Stadium on April 22-23. Friday’s doubleheader will start at 1 p.m., and a pregame Senior Day ceremony will occur before Saturday’s noon start time. Live video with play-by-play commentary and live statistics will be available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.
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