Lady Jackets Earn Split at Mesa State (Mar. 10, 2004)
Box Score Game #1
Box Score Game #2

GRAND JUNCTION, CO – The Montana State-Billings softball team split a doubleheader with Mesa State Wednesday, losing 5-4 on the last at bat of game one before winning 8-3 in game two.  The Yellowjackets moved to 9-18 for the season.  The Mavericks are now 12-7.  MSU Billings has played 13 games in the last seven days and will wrap up its spring break trip with four games at PacWest opponent Western New Mexico this Friday and Saturday.

In game one, the Yellowjackets lost on the final at bat of the game for the third time this season.  After MSU Billings rallied from a 4-0 deficit to tie the game with four runs in the top of the sixth, the Mavericks’ Sarah Hudson scored on a Christy Dean single to left center in the bottom of the ninth with two outs.  The Jackets are now 0-4 in extra innings games and 2-5 in one-run games.  Ten of their losses have been by either one or two runs.

All of the Yellowjackets’ run production came in the sixth inning following a three-run fifth for the Mavericks.  Joey Ehnes and Sara Hanley each hit two-RBI doubles.  Ehnes drove in Cami Rainey and Christy Wankel, and Hanley plated Ehnes and Anna Henderson.  Hanley and Rainey were each 2-for-4 in the game.

Ehnes took the loss for the Jackets, giving up six hits and five walks in 8 2/3 innings.  She struck out a career-high and school record 13 batters for the second game in a row.  She also struck out 13 on Monday in a win at Northwest Nazarene.  Ehnes has 122 strikeouts in 112 2/3 innings this season.  The school single-season record for strikeouts was 78, set by Megan McCrae last season. 

After tossing over eight innings in game one, Ehnes again went the distance in game two, picking up her seventh victory of the season to improve to 7-10.  She scattered five hits over seven innings and struck out eight.  The Yellowjackets used a six-run third inning to chase Mavericks starter Cassie Phillips out of the game.

The Jackets tacked on a run each in the fifth and sixth innings after Mesa State had cut the lead in half with one run in the third and two more in the fourth.  Ehnes held the Mavericks scoreless for the final three innings to close out the game and the win.

At the plate, Ehnes was 3-for-4 with three RBI and a pair of runs scored.  She also hit her team-leading seventh double of the season.  Freshman Aysha Blatter was 3-for-4 with two RBI, two runs scored and her first home run of the season. 

Rainey went 2-for-5 from the leadoff spot, scoring one run.  Stephanie Cochrun, who has been hot at the plate in recent games, was 1-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI.  Layne Pavey went 1-for-3 with an RBI.

MSU Billings 4, Mesa State 5
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MSUB             000 004 000 – 4 6 0
MSC                000 130 001 – 5 6 2
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Note: 2 outs, 2 runners LOB when game ended
Win: Stacy Dennis (7-2)           Loss: Joey Ehnes (6-10)
LOB – MSUB 3, Mesa 8
2B – Ehnes, Henderson, Hanley, Rainey, Hudson, Reed, Andrews

MSU Billings 8, Mesa State 3
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MSUB             006 011 0 – 8 13 2
MSC                001 200 0 – 3  5  3
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Win: Joey Ehnes (7-10)            Loss: Cassie Phillips (5-1) 
LOB – MSUB 8, Mesa 5
2B – Ehnes, Hanley
HR - Blatter