Billings, Mont. (APR. 4) – The Central Washington University softball team lost two games to Montana State Billings Friday afternoon, dropping the final game of the doubleheader on a walkoff homerun in extra innings.  The Wildcats lost game one by a score of 1-7.
 
The Wildcats held a 9-1 lead heading into the sixth inning of game number two, but was unable to hold on to the eight run lead, and despite a Katie Focher homerun in the top of the eighth inning, the Yellowjackets got runners on base and ended the game with a homerun.
 
The Wildcats drop to 17-15 on the season and 8-6 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  The Yellowjackets 18-17 and pull into a tie with CWU with an 8-6 conference mark.
 
 
Game One:  1-7 Loss
 
In game one the Wildcats fell behind 0-2 with the Yellowjackets scoring a run in both the third and fourth innings.  The Wildcats made a small rally in the top of the fifth inning after Alexa Olague and Katie Focher led the inning off with a single and double respectively.  With runners on second and third and no outs, two Wildcats struck out before leadoff hitter Sammy Morris drove in the run from third on an infield single.
 
The Yellowjackets answered right back scoring four runs in the bottom of the fifth inning extending their lead to 6-1.  The Yellowjackets led the inning off with a solo homerun and later in the inning MSUB third baseman Kelsey Devlin hit her second homerun of the game.
 
The Wildcats only got one hit in the final two innings and were unable to overcome the early deficit.
 
 
Game Two: 10-12 Loss (8 innings)
 
After falling behind 0-1 after two innings Austin Wilkerson gave the Wildcats lift with a two-run homerun in the third inning.  The following inning, Kailyn Campbell drove in Remy Bradley from third base, giving CWU a 3-1 lead after four innings.
 
In the Wildcat offense took advantage off shaky defense and poor pitching by MSUB scoring six runs on just two hits, one of which was a Grand Slam by Campbell that pushed the Wildcat advantage to 9-1.
 
Even with the big lead, the Yellowjackets rallied in the final inning to tie the game on five hits and two Wildcat errors..
 
 
With the score tied 9-9 in the eighth inning, Focher hit a solo home run that looked to be the game-winning run for the Wildcats.  However, MSUB scored three runs in the bottom half of the inning on a walk off three-run home run by Bella Rovens to win the game for the Yellowjackets.
 
Central Washington will get a chance to redeem itself tomorrow when they finish up their four game series with MSUB at 11 a.m. PST