Rovens sets career hits mark, Tracy breaks season record Saturday

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, April 22, 2017 Rovens sets career hits mark, Tracy breaks season record Saturday

Bella Rovens breaks the MSUB career hits record with No. 208 in Game 1 Saturday, and Heather Tracy breaks the singleseason record with two hits in Game 2 to up her 2017 total to 73, but the ‘Jackets lose at NNU twice.

NAMPA, Idaho – Bella Rovens broke the Montana State University Billings softball career hits record Saturday afternoon at Halle Field, collecting the 208th hit of her four-year career with the Yellowjackets in the top of the fourth inning against Northwest Nazarene University in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.

Rovens surpassed Terina Stacks, who posted 207 hits from 2006-09, and added two more in Saturday’s doubleheader loss to the Crusaders to reach an unprecedented 210 knocks since joining the program in 2014. Junior Heather Tracy also broke a school record Saturday, picking up two hits in the nightcap and pushing her 2017 season total to 73 to break Stacks’ single-season mark of 72.

“I am very proud of Bella for breaking the all-time MSUB hits record,” said MSUB head coach Jessica Rayman. “She hit a slow roller to the infield and beat it out, which is what she does so well, so it was fun to watch her get that hit that way.

She is a gamer, and is always competing, so this is well-deserved.”

Northwest Nazarene (23-23, 13-11 GNAC) scored 10 runs in the fifth and sixth innings to win the opener 10-5, before posting an 11-run third inning and winning Game 2 14-5 in five innings. “Our defense and offense played well today, but we just have to find a way to put all three aspects of the game together,” said Rayman. “Our offense did a good job stepping into the box confidently, and it continues to fight for us.”

Cameron Cassinelli hit two home runs to bring her career total to 30, and Kelsey Devlin added the 29th of her career in Game 2. Cassinelli drove in five runs in the doubleheader, adding a double in the second game. A day after launching her first-career home run, Vanessa Almario cleared the fence again with a solo shot in Game 1. “Vanessa had another home run, and it’s exciting to see her break out like that,” Rayman said. “Cam showed a lot of fight for us in the first game, homering twice. It was good to see our offense string some hits together.”

The Yellowjackets slipped to 15-30 on the year with the losses, and are now 9-15 in conference play as their 2017 playoff hopes dwindled.

Game 1 – Northwest Nazarene 10, MSU Billings 5 The ‘Jackets constructed a 3-0 lead over the first four innings of play, with Almario’s solo shot counting as the first run of the game in the top of the third inning.

Cassinelli led off the fourth with her first home run of the day, and Madison Kelly delivered an RBI-single to up the advantage.

Starting pitcher Megan Dettling meanwhile was efficient in the circle, giving up just two hits through the first four frames. With the bases loaded and only one out in the second, she received a web gem from Tracy who slid forward in right to snag a sinking line drive and keep all three runners in place.

The Crusaders struck big in the bottom of the fifth however, as five straight hitters reached base to start the inning and tie the score at 3-3. Lisa Sylvester and Anna Olson had the final two RBIs of the frame, giving NNU a lead that it would end up holding onto for the rest of the game.

Alli Byron came on in relief of Brooke Bonsen in the sixth, and posted a zero to set up the Crusader offense for another big rally. Cassidy Fifield led off the bottom of the sixth with a triple, and 10 batters later NNU had pushed ahead 10-3. A sacrifice fly by Sylvester came amidst four RBI-singles by the ‘Saders, as the home team put the game out of reach.

MSUB got a pair of runs back in the seventh on a two-run homer by Cassinelli, but the rally stopped there as Bonsen came back on to close the ballgame. The Crusader ace scattered seven hits over 5 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and three runs allowed on three walks.

The Yellowjackets left 11 runners on base in the opener, and committed three errors defensively.

Game 2 – Northwest Nazarene 14, MSU Billings 5 (5 Innings) Seven different players had RBIs in the 11-run third inning, four of which came thanks to Brittany Genuardi whose three-run home run highlighted the frame. The Crusaders also drew three straight walks with the bases loaded, and MSUB couldn’t recover from the major deficit.

Cassinelli kept her bat hot with an RBI-double in the top of the first, but it was MSUB’s only lead of the ballgame.

A three-run home run by Fifield tacked on three more runs in the bottom of the fourth, helping the Crusaders clinch the series win over the ‘Jackets.

Devlin’s two-run homer capped off a four-run fifth inning, but by then it was too late as the ‘Jackets could not extend the game in the run-rule loss.

Genuardi had four RBIs while Fifield had five out of the leadoff spot, and Sylvester was a perfect 3-for-3 for NNU in Game 2.

Maddy Lincoln threw 2 1/3 innings in the start, allowing five runs on six hits. Taylor Tokach finished the game in the circle for MSUB, tossing the final 1 2/3 innings and striking out a pair of hitters.

NNU’s Rylee Thomas posted the win in the 5-inning complete game, striking out three and walking none while giving up five runs on nine hits.

THE BUZZ: Rovens was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Cassinelli is now tied for second-most career home runs in MSUB history, with 30, and Devlin is tied for third with 29.

NEXT UP: The regular season concludes next weekend, with MSUB hosting Simon Fraser University in a four-game series. Doubleheaders are scheduled for Friday and Saturday at Avitus Group Stadium, with a senior ceremony tabbed for the finale. Live video with play-by-play commentary, and live statistics will be available online through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.

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