WTAMU Sweeps Lady Jackets (3/19/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

CANYON, TX – A two-out single in the bottom of the seventh gave West Texas A&M a doubleheader sweep of Montana State-Billings on Monday in non-conference NCAA II softball.  The Jackets dropped the first game 6-3 and the second 1-0, snapping a six-game winning streak.  MSUB fell to 15-16 on the season while the Lady Buffs improved to 9-23.

The Yellowjackets dug themselves into a hole early in the first game, falling behind 5-0 after three innings.  The Lady Buffs used a three-run third inning to break the game open.  Yellowjacket starter Rebekah Tsatsa (Eagle, ID) walked three and allowed five runs before leaving the game in bottom of the third. 

Tsatsa was able to induce two ground outs to start the third inning, but got into trouble after back-to-back walks.  After allowing two runs and loading the bases, Tsatsa was replaced by Lisa Moore (Bakersfield, CA).  Moore’s first pitch hit WTAMU’s Erin Hartigan to score a run.  She then walked the next batter before finally getting a ground out to end the inning.

Moore was able to stop the Lady Buffs’ offense after the third, giving up just one hit and one run in the next three innings.  The Yellowjackets scored all three of their runs in the top of the sixth inning.  Terina Stacks (Washougal, WA) and Jenna McCartney (Hamilton, MT) started the rally with a pair of singles.  After a sacrifice bunt moved them to second and third, Leslie Davis (Federal Way, WA) reached on an error to score two runs.  Davis advanced all the way to third on the error and scored on a Moore groundout.

Tsatsa took the loss to fall to 6-7.  The Buffs’ Kelsi Frost (4-5) earned the complete game victory.  MSUB managed just four singles from Stacks, McCartney, Lorel Palmer (Ogden, UT) and Megan Moeller (Ontario, OR).  WTAMU’s Jenny Matulich was 2-for-3, and Breanna Adams was 1-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored.

The second game was a pitchers’ dual between the Jackets’ Lindsey Trenary (Helena, MT) and the Buffs’ Andrea Renteria.  Renteria (2-6) scattered seven hits over seven innings without allowing a run.  She struck out seven and walked two.  Trenary (1-2) was the hard-luck loser, giving up just four hits in 6 2/3 innings.  She struck out three and walked two.

The Buffs broke the scoreless tie with two outs in the bottom of the seventh when Frost slapped a two-out single through the right side, scoring Brooke Guidry for the game winner.  Guidry reached base on one of two walks given up by Trenary to start the inning.  The other was to Kelsi Jensen, who was eventually thrown out at home by MSUB shortstop Jessica Frank (Great Falls, MT) when Jensen tried to score from third on a groundball.

McCartney was 2-for-4 in the game, and Stacks was 1-for-4.  They were the only two Yellowjackets to hit safely in both games.  Frank and Steph Gosselin (Victoria, BC) each had a pair of singles in the game.  Frost was 2-for-3 for the Buffs’ including her game winning hit.

The Yellowjackets return to Heartland Conference play next weekend with a four-game series at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX.  They play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday.  MSUB plays a non-conference doubleheader at University of Great Falls on March 28 before starting the heart of the home schedule on March 31 against Texas-Permian Basin.