Jackets Drop Exhibition at Miles CC (4/25/06)

MILES CITY, MT – The Montana State-Billings baseball team dropped an exhibition game at Miles Community College on Tuesday, losing 5-3.  The Pioneers used a five-run third inning to build a 5-0 lead and held on for the win.

The Yellowjackets scored two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth.  Nick Hoskyn (Jr., Oelwein, IA), Kyle Slater (Jr., Missoula, MT) and Matt Kakalecik (Fr., Great Falls, MT) drove in runs for MSU Billings.  Doug Longfellow (Jr., Lewistown, MT) was the only Yellowjacket with multiple hits, collecting two.  All seven of the Jackets’ hits in the game were singles.  Brandon Laffoon (So., Libby, MT) took the loss, allowing all five runs in the third inning.  Two of the runs were unearned.

“Our approach at the plate was good,” said Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “We just hit like we’ve never hit with wood bats before.  Other than the third inning we played well defensively, but we didn’t execute in bunt situations.  It was mostly mental; we had just one starter playing in the infield.”

The Yellowjackets next play on Friday when they host St. Mary’s University in a Heartland Conference doubleheader at Cobb Field.  First pitch for the opening game is 3:00 p.m.  The Jackets (13-29 overall, 11-21 HLC) and Rattlers (30-15, 22-10) will meet in another double-dip on Saturday, also starting at 3:00.  MSU Billings has just two weekend series left in its inaugural season of the program’s modern era.  The Yellowjackets host league-leader Incarnate Word on May 5-6.