Lady Jackets Win One, Drop Two (3/3/06)
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RICHLAND, WA – The Montana State-Billings softball team dropped two games on Friday before winning their late game at the Central Washington Invitational.  The Jackets lost to Grand Canyon and Humboldt State and defeated St. Martin’s.  MSU Billings, 5-11 overall, will face Western Washington and Central Washington at the tourney on Saturday.

Both of the Yellowjackets’ losses on Friday were by one run.  Grand Canyon knocked off the Jackets 2-1 in the morning game, scoring once in the second and once in the fifth and holding off a Yellowjacket rally.  The Jackets’ Jessica Frank (So., Great Falls, MT) drove in Christy Wankel (Sr., Great Falls, MT) in the top of the sixth for their only run.  Terina Stacks (Fr., Washougal, WA) scattered five hits over six innings in the loss. 

MSU Billings gave the nation’s top-ranked team a scare in the afternoon with Humboldt State holding on for a 3-2 win.  The Jackets took a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth on a Jenna Haacke (So., Billings, MT) home run.  The Lumberjacks answered with three runs in the bottom of the sixth when Nancy Harbeson hit a three-run homer off Yellowjacket starter Lisa Moore (Fr., Bakersfield, CA).  The Jackets added a run in the top of the seventh on a Jackie Purser (Fr., Mead, WA) pinch hit home run.

The Yellowjackets rebounded from the tough losses early in the day to down St. Martin’s 4-2.  Rebekah Tsatsa (Fr., Eagle, ID) earned the win, giving up five hits and two runs in 5 2/3 innings.  Stacks closed out the final 1 1/3 innings for the save.  Lorel Palmer (Jr., Ogden, UT) and Wankel each had two hits including a double.  Frank and Aysha Maddox (Jr., Richland, WA) each drove in an RBI.