Lady Jacket Softball Drops Pair to Open Season (2/11/06)
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PHOENIX, AZ – The Montana State-Billings softball team dropped its season-opening games on Saturday, falling to Grand Canyon and Cal State-Dominguez Hills at a tournament hosted by Grand Canyon.  The Jackets lost the opener to host Grand Canyon, 6-2.  They followed with a 2-0 loss to CSU-Dominguez Hills, the team the Jackets knocked out of last year’s NCAA Tournament.

Rebekah Tsatsa (Fr., Eagle, ID) went the distance for the Jackets in the first game, giving up five runs in the bottom of the second.  The Yellowjackets scored both of their runs in the top of the sixth inning.  Tsatsa gave up nine hits and struck out four in her first collegiate start.  Jenna Haacke (So., Billings, MT) and Christy Wankel (Sr., Great Falls, MT) each hit solo home runs in the sixth inning.  Haacke was 2-for-3 at the plate.

Leslie Davis (Fr., Federal Way, WA) started for the Jackets against CSU-Dominguez Hills.  She tossed two scoreless innings without allowing a hit.  Lisa Moore (Fr., Bakersfield, CA) came on in relief, allowing five hits and two runs in four innings.  The Toros scored both of their runs in the bottom of the fifth.  Anna Henderson (Sr., Frenchtown, MT) went 2-for-2 at the plate for the Yellowjackets’ only two hits in the game.

The Lady Jackets will continue play at the Grand Canyon tournament on Sunday with rematches against Cal State-Dominguez Hills and Grand Canyon.  The order of the game will be reversed with the Jackets taking on the Toros at 10:30 a.m. and the Lopes at 3:30 p.m.  MSU Billings wraps up the tournament on Monday with a doubleheader against Hawaii-Hilo.  The Yellowjackets will remain in Phoenix for the Triple Crown Leadoff Classic which starts Thursday.