Yellowjackets Bounce Back to Earn Split with Chaminade (April 12, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – After losing a close 2-1 decision in game one of a double-header, the MSU Billings softball team stormed back for a 9-0 victory against PacWest foe Chaminade in game two Saturday.  The split moved the Yellowjackets’ overall record to 9-14 and their PacWest mark to 2-8.  The Silverswords are now 8-27 overall and 3-15 in conference play. 

Megan McCrae took the loss for the Yellowjackets in game one even though she struck out seven batters and spread six hits over seven innings.  One of those hits was a two run homer by Chaminade’s Coreen Iwamoto in the top of the second.  That shot over the leftfield fence erased a 1-0 Silversword deficit. 

MSUB had taken a 1-0 lead in the first when Cami Rainey walked with the bases loaded to plate Michelle Falsken.  Both McCrae and Chaminade’s Donnell Wittekind tossed shutouts for the final five innings as Wittekind improved her season record to 6-11.  McCrae fell to 508.

In game two the Yellowjacket offense gave pitcher Joey Ehnes all the runs she would need in the first inning when they put four runs on the Cenex Stadium scoreboard.  Layne Pavey bounced her third home run of the year off the top of the centerfield fence with two outs, scoring Sara Hanley and Stephanie Cochrun.

The Yellowjackets added two runs in the second and three more in the fourth to win by the eight-run rule.  Ehnes kept the Silversword batters off balance for much of the game, allowing four hits and striking out five in five innings of work.  She improved to 4-3 with the win and lowered her ERA to 2.07.  Wittekind pitched the first 1 2/3 innings, giving up six runs to drop her record to 6-12.  Loihi McKeague pitched the final 2 1/3 for the Silverswords, allowing three runs, one of them earned.

The Yellowjackets and Silverswords will square off again on Sunday with the first game of the double-header starting at 2:00 p.m. at Cenex Stadium.  A slowpitch home run contest will take place from noon to 1:00 p.m. and food and drink specials will be available next door at the Rock Pile Sports Bar before and after the games.  The game will also be a part of High School Days with the Jackets and all high school students will be admitted free.