Saturday, May 9, 2015

SEASIDE, Calif. - Saturday was a long day for Montana State Billings and head coach Lisa Allen.

They would take another one Sunday just like it.

After losing 5-4 in 12 innings to Sonoma State Saturday, the Yellowjackets bounced back to defeat Humboldt State 5-2 in a loser-out game and advance to Sunday's NCAA Division II West sub-regional championship game against Sonoma at noon.

MSUB (31-22) will have to win twice to advance to next weekend's West Regional Best-of-Three Super Series with Dixie State.  The winner of that series will advance to the eight-team Division II National Championships May 21-25 at Oklahoma City.

MSUB rallied from a 3-0 deficit against Sonoma, scoring a run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by shortstop Taylor Hoke and two in the seventh on home runs by Emily Osborn and Heather Tracy to force extra innings. 

Make that five extra innings.

Finally in the 12th, MSUB got the upperhand on another home run by Osborn, her GNAC-leading 14th of the season.  But, the Seawolves countered in the bottom of the inning against Jessyka MacDonald, who had pitched eight consecutive scoreless innings after giving up three runs in the third, loading the bases.

With two out, a foul fly which would have ended the game was dropped.  Two singles and a walk loaded the bases.   Relief pitcher Amanda Roark then hit a batter to force in the tying run and Sonoma catcher Aubrie Tolliver, who was 0-for-5 on the day, singled to drive in the winning run.

MSUB outhit SSU 13-10 in the loss getting four from leadoff hitter Bella Rovens, who is 7-for-14 in the regional.  Cori Gammon came off the bench to get three hits.

Later in the day after Humboldt State defeated No. 1 seed and host Cal State Monterey Bay in an elimination game, the Yellowjackets had a chance at redemption and made the most of it defeating former GNAC member Humboldt State 5-2.

Aubrey Conceicao provided the decision blow with a three-run home run in the sixth to break a 2-2 tie.  In six post-season games Conceicao is batting .385 (10-of-26) and has two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI.

McDonald is 5-1 in the circle during that time producing a 2.40 ERA over 46 2/3 innings and allowing 38 hits.  Five of those came against the Lumberjacks as she went the distance, walking three and fanning two and improving her season record to 21-7.