Lady Jackets Drop Two to Cardinals (4/2/06)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX – Fifteenth-ranked University of the Incarnate Word used solid pitching and an opportunistic offense to sweep a Heartland Conference doubleheader from Montana State-Billings on Sunday.  UIW prevailed in game one, 6-0, and carried the momentum into game two for an 8-4 victory.  The Yellowjackets dropped to 7-25 on the season and 0-8 to start the Heartland Conference schedule.  The Cardinals, the only nationally-ranked team in the Heartland this week, snapped their own four-game losing streak to improve to 32-12 overall and 6-4 in the conference.

The Cardinals’ Amanda Sparks (13-6) tossed a compete-game four-hit shutout to win the first game.  Incarnate Word used a four-run fourth inning to break open a close game.  The Cards had scored a run in the bottom of the first and another in the second for a 2-0 lead against Yellowjacket starter Terina Stacks (Fr., Washougal, WA).  Stacks gave up nine hits and five earned runs in six innings, falling to 0-8. 

UIW was led at the plate by Allison Britt, who went 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored.  She broke the school’s single season stolen base record in the first inning with her 30^th stolen base of the year and scored two batters later.  Stephanie Flores went 1-for-1 with a run and three RBI.  Melissa Perez and Ashley Hinojosa were each 2-for-3 for the Cardinals.

The Yellowjackets’ struggles at the plate continued with three players combining for the team’s four hits.  Freshman Stephanie Gosselin (Brentwood Bay, BC) was 2-for-2 with a double.  Stephanie Rinehart (Fr., Gig Harbor, WA) was 1-for-3 with a double, and Christy Wankel (Sr., Great Falls, MT) singled to go 1-for-3. 

The Yellowjacket offense found some life in the second game, but a 4-0 deficit after two innings was too much to overcome.  The Cardinals posted three runs in the first and one in the second before again breaking the game open in the bottom of the fourth inning with four runs.  That was enough for starter Melissa Perez to hold off a few Yellowjacket rallies.

MSU Billings put two runs on the board in the top of the third to cut the Cards’ lead in half.  Crystal Bentley (Fr., Bothell, WA) led off the inning with a single and was sacrificed to second by Lorel Palmer (Jr., Ogden, UT).  A Jenna McCartney (Jr., Victor, MT) double to center plated Bentley for the Jackets’ first run in almost two and a half games.  McCartney would score on a throwing error following a Rachel Quarnburg (Jr., Billings, MT) groundout.

After the Cards’ big fourth inning, the Yellowjackets answered with two runs in the top of the fifth.  McCartney led off the inning by reaching on an error.  Quarnburg followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice and was replaced on the base paths by Rinehart.  Jenna Haacke (So., Billings, MT) then hit her eighth home run of the season and third in the last three days.

Perez went the distance to improve to 18-6.  She struck out seven and allowed seven hits.  Yellowjacket starter Rebekah Tsatsa (Fr., Eagle, ID) took the loss to fall to 3-6, giving up three hits and eight runs in 3 1/3 innings.  Half of the runs scored against Tsatsa were unearned due to four Yellowjacket errors.  Stacks made a solid relief appearance, pitching hitless ball for 2 2/3 innings.

Offensively, the Yellowjackets were led by Haacke, who was 3-for-4 with a run, two RBI, a double, and a home run.  McCartney also doubled for the Jackets, and Palmer, Quarnburg, and Bentley each singled.  The Cardinals were led by Perez, who went 3-for-4 with three RBI.

“We’ve played all but two of our games on the road,” said Yellowjacket head coach Sean McGary.  “I think it’s taken a toll.  Playing at home can be such an advantage, and it’s tough after a while to play so many games on the road.  We’re just trying to squeeze out a couple wins and then look forward to our home stand.  We need some people to step up and take charge and get things going offensively.”

The Yellowjackets are now past the halfway mark of a grueling road swing during which they will play 12 games in seven days.  They will wrap up the trip with doubleheaders on Monday night and Tuesday morning.  MSUB plays at St. Mary’s University on Monday at 5:00 and 7:00 p.m.  The Rattlers swept the Jackets on Saturday.  The Yellowjackets will conclude the trip with another doubleheader at Incarnate Word on Tuesday morning with first pitch scheduled for 11:00 a.m.