Thursday, April 30, 2015

YAKIMA, Wash. – Montana State Billings took advantage of five Western Washington errors to score six unearned runs and went on to defeat the second-seeded Vikings 6-1 Thursday in the opening game of the GNAC Softball Championships at the Gateway Sports Complex.

The third-seeded Yellowjackets (27-21) now advance to a winner’s bracket second round game Friday at 2 p.m. against the winner of tonight’s second game between top-seed Saint Martin’s and No. 4 Western Oregon.

MSUB used two walks, an error and a ground out by right fielder Heather Tracy for a run in the second.  Two  errors set up a RBI single by GNAC Co-Player of the Year Taylor Hoke for a run in the third to make it 2-0.

Then in the fifth, after the first two batters went out, an error opened up the floodgates.  Back-to-back singles by second baseman Aubrey Conceicao and first baseman Emily Osborn produced the first run of the inning.

Designated player Cameron Cassinelli then doubled MSUB’s lead to 6-0 with a three-run home run to centerfield.

WWU finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth as catcher Lynsey Amundson and right fielder Allie Crowe singled and a walk loaded the bases.  Left fielder Autumn Isaacson bounced into a force to get the Vikings on the scoreboard.

Isaacson then stole her 31st base of the season, tying her own GNAC single-season record, but winning pitcher Jessyka MacDonald, after issuing a walk to reload the bases, got the final out of the inning.

MacDonald finished the contest with a four-hitter to pick up her 17th win against five losses.  She walked two and fanned two.

Makinlee Sellevold was the  loser, falling to 23-8 on the season.  Sellevold, who walked four and fanned four, allowed just six hits, two to Hoke.  The MSUB shortstop was the only player on either side to have more than one hit.

Sellevold's loss snapped her own personal nine-game win streak.

MSUB center fielder Bella Rovens went 0-for-4 against Sellevold ending her 12-game hitting streak