Lady Jackets Complete Weekend Sweep of Aggies (4/8/06)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – The bats remained hot for the Montana State-Billings softball team on Saturday with the Yellowjackets sweeping Oklahoma Panhandle State in a Heartland Conference doubleheader, 6-4 and 9-0.  The Lady Jackets’ victories completed a four-game sweep of the Aggies during which MSU Billings scored 39 runs.

MSU Billings improved to 12-28 overall and 5-11 in the conference while Panhandle State fell to 4-37, 3-13.  Following the weekend sweep, the Yellowjackets find themselves in fifth place in the Heartland Conference standings.

Saturday’s first game started with the Aggies jumping on Yellowjacket starter Lisa Moore (Fr., Bakersfield, CA) for four hits and two runs in the top of the first inning.  The Aggies’ Catherine Daza led off the game with a solo home run over the fence in left center.  Moore would leave the game after the top of the first and be replaced by Terina Stacks (Fr., Washougal, WA).  Stacks scattered three hits and two unearned runs over six innings to pick up the victory, improving to 2-9.  She struck out three without a walk.

The Yellowjackets scratched out an unearned run in the bottom of the first to cut the Aggies’ lead in half, and then blew up for five runs in the bottom of the second inning.  MSU Billings didn’t have many offensive highlights after the second inning, but the six runs were plenty for Stacks, who lowered her team-leading ERA to 4.09.

Six different Yellowjackets accounted for six singles in the game, but four of those six hits resulted in RBI.  Jenna McCartney (Jr., Victor, MT) was 1-for-2 with a two-RBI single through the right side in the second inning.  Lorel Palmer (Jr., Ogden, UT) and Rachel Quarnburg (Jr., Billings, MT) each drove in a run.

The Aggies’ Courtney Harris was 2-for-3 with an RBI.  Krystal Comeaux and Jessica Puckett each doubled.  Rachel Hughes took the loss to fall to 2-14.  She gave up six hits and five earned runs in six innings.

The Yellowjackets wasted little time breaking open the second game.  After Yellowjacket starter Rebekah Tsatsa (Fr., Eagle, ID) sat the side down in order in the top of the first, MSU Billings erupted for seven runs in the bottom half of the first against OPSU starter Kindall Moon.  Moon gave up four hits and six earned runs in 2/3 of an inning.  Hughes replaced Moon and allowed six hits and two runs in 3 1/3 innings.  The Jackets pushed around two runs in the third inning and won via the eight-run rule after five innings.

Tsatsa was effective throughout, allowing just two hits and striking out three without a walk to improve to 4-7.  The Aggies’ two hits were a pair of singles in the top of the second inning.  Tsatsa didn’t allow a base runner from that point on.  Nine different Yellowjackets hit safely in the game.  Quarnburg, Ashley Powell (Fr., Missoula, MT), and Megan Moeller (Jr., Ontario, OR) drove in two RBI apiece.  Quarnburg hit her sixth home run of the season in the first inning, and Powell hit her first collegiate home run in the bottom of the third.

The Jackets’ Anna Henderson (Sr., Frenchtown, MT) was the only player in the game with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a double and a run scored.  Stephanie Rinehart (Fr., Gig Harbor, WA) was 1-for-1 with a double, two walks, and two runs scored.  Christy Wankel (Sr., Great Falls, MT) was 1-for-1 with a triple and a run scored.

The Yellowjackets continue their conference home schedule next Friday and Saturday when they host league-leader St. Edward’s University.  The Hilltoppers entered Saturday with a 37-11 overall record and a perfect 12-0 mark in conference games.  Both of next weekend’s games start at 3:00 p.m. at Cenex Stadium.