Lady Jackets Wrap up Non-Conference Schedule at Colo.
Springs (3/16/06)
BILLINGS, MT – The Montana
State-Billings softball team will play its final
non-conference games of the season this weekend when the
Yellowjackets play at University of Colorado-Colorado
Springs. The Jackets and Mountain Lions are scheduled to
play doubleheaders on Saturday and Sunday with a noon
start time on Saturday and a 11:00 a.m. start on Sunday.
The Yellowjackets are coming of a
doubleheader sweep of Dickinson State last weekend. The
wins improved their overall record to 7-14 and snapped a
three-game losing streak. Freshmen Lisa
Moore (Bakersfield, CA) and Rebekah Tsatsa (Eagle, ID) earned pitching victories
against the Blue Hawks. Moore pitched a complete-game
six-hitter in the Jackets’ 6-1 win. Tsatsa went 4 1/3
innings in an 8-4 victory, giving up three hits and two
earned runs. Terina Stacks (Fr., Washougal, WA) pitched the final 2
2/3 to earn the save. She entered the game in the fifth
inning with the bases loaded and didn’t allow a run.
Moore improved to 4-6 with last
Saturday’s win, lowering her team-leading earned run
average to 4.22. She also leads the Yellowjackets with 51
strikeouts in 61 1/3 innings. Tsatsa improved to 3-3
while Stacks earned her second save.
The Yellowjacket offense had plenty
of stars against the Blue Hawks, pounding out 18 hits and
14 runs for the day. Anna Henderson (Sr., Frenchtown, MT) hit three doubles
in the two games. Jenna Haacke (So., Billings, MT) was a combined
3-for-6 with three runs, three RBI, and a home run.
For the season Christy Wankel (Sr., Great Falls, MT) leads all
Yellowjacket hitters with a .349 average. She has driven
in 11 RBI and scored eight runs. She also has four
doubles and two home runs. Haacke is batting .302 and
leads the team with five home runs and 10 runs scored. Jessica Frank (So., Great Falls, MT) is close behind
Haacke with four homers and leads the Jackets with 14
RBI. First baseman Rachel Quarnburg (Jr., Billings, MT) hit three home
runs and drove in eight runs in the first 11 games of the
season but has not played since February 18 because of
injury. She is still questionable for this weekend’s trip
to Colorado Springs.
The Mountain Lions are off to their
best start in school history at 13-1. Their only loss was
to Fort Hays State on March 5. Through the first 14 games
of the season, the Lions have pounded teams offensively.
UCCS has outscored its opponents by a combined 133-49 and
has hit 21 home runs. The Lions have hammered an
impressive 57 extra-base hits so far—including 33 doubles
and three triples—and their combined team slugging
percentage is an eye-popping .681.
UC-Colorado Springs has used
primarily a three-pitcher rotation led by senior Amanda
Ritchie. In 42 innings of work, Ritchie has a 6-1 record
with a 2.33 ERA. Freshman Angie Heronema is 4-0 in four
appearances with a 2.10 ERA. She was named the Rocky
Mountain Athletic Conference pitcher of the week last
week. Fellow freshman Kym Cade is 2-0 in four starts.
Following the weekend swing to
southern Colorado, the Yellowjackets hit the road for a
10-day trip to open the Heartland Conference schedule.
They will play at Western New Mexico on March 29 and 30
before playing at St. Mary’s and Incarnate Word on
alternating days April 1-4. The Yellowjackets’ next home
date is scheduled for April 7 when they host Oklahoma
Panhandle State at Cenex Stadium. |
