Yellowjacket Softball Wins Two at St. Cloud Tournament (Feb. 26, 2005)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Game 3 Box Score

ST. CLOUD, MN – The Montana State-Billings softball team opened its season Saturday by winning two of three games at the St. Cloud State Husky Dome Classic. 

The Yellowjackets defeated Pittsburg State in the first game of the day, 8-3.  Joey Ehnes (Sr., Great Falls, MT) earned the win.  She went the distance, striking out 12 while allowing just six hits.  Seven different players collected the Jackets’ seven hits in the game.  Sara Hanley (Sr., Kalispell, MT) was 1-for-3 and scored three runs.  Jenna Haacke (Fr., Billings, MT) was 1-for-2 with a run and a pair of RBI.  Theresa Campbell (Sr., Great Falls, MT) and Christy Wankel (Jr., Great Falls, MT) each homered.  Campbell drove in three RBI, and Wankel plated two.

MSU Billings fell to host St. Cloud State, 5-3 in game two.  The Huskies are currently ranked fourth in the nation.  Megan McCrae (0-1) took the loss, giving up three runs in three innings.  Ehnes finished the game, allowing two runs.  The Jackets trailed 5-0 after the fourth inning, but rallied to score three runs in the final two innings.  Haacke was 2-for-4 with a pair of RBI.  Hanley, Campbell and Cami Rainey (Sr., Terreton, ID) each scored a run.  Stephanie Cochrun (Sr., Lake Stevens, WA) went 2-for-3.

The Jackets rebounded for a 7-6 victory over Winona State in nine innings in the nightcap.  Ehnes (2-0) earned the victory in relief and scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning.  Each team scored five runs in the first inning before the pitchers settled down.  The Jackets’ Jordan Waverek (Sr., Kalispell, MT) gave up two hits and five runs in a third of an inning before being relieved by Ehnes.  The Warriors’ Kristen Fossell gave up six runs on six hits in an inning and a third before being relieved.

Using the international tiebreaker rule, Ehnes opened the bottom of the ninth placed on second base.  She was sacrificed to third by Rainey.  With Hanley at the plate, Winona State’s catcher tried to pick off Ehnes at third, but the ball sailed into left field and Ehnes scored the game winner. 

Wankel was 3-for-4 with three RBI and a run scored in the game.  Rainey was 2-for-5 with a run scored.  Rachel Quarnburg (So., Billings, MT) went 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored.  Ehnes also struck out 12 batters in the win over Winona State, falling just one short of her own school single game record of 13.  She finished the day with 30 strikeouts in 18 2/3 innings.

The Yellowjackets continue play at the Husky Dome Classic Sunday morning at 8:00 a.m. against 19^th-ranked Emporia State.  They will wrap up the tournament at 10:00 a.m. against Minnesota-Duluth.