Jackets Sweep Aggies (3/26/06)
Box Score 1
Box Score 2

GOODWELL, OK – The Montana State-Billings baseball team seems to have come alive after going winless early in the season.  The Jackets swept Oklahoma Panhandle winning Sunday’s doubleheader 2-0, and 8-0.  Both games were Heartland Conference counters and the wins improved the Jackets to 5-19 overall and 3-13 in league play.  The Aggies dropped to 1-28 overall and are 1-15 in the Conference standings.

Complete game pitching seems to be the trick for the Jackets as both of Sunday’s wins each came from one pitcher.  In game one, Dave Ducharme (Sr., Hamilton, MT) pitched a one hit shutout and stuck out two batters.  Ducharme had a no-hitter through three innings and no Aggie runner reached third base.  Kyle Slater (Jr., Missoula, MT) and Luke Sansaver (Jr., Wolf Point, MT) each went 1-for-3 with a single.  Teammate Kyle Pryor (Jr., Billings, MT) was 2-for-3 with a double.  Pryor had two stolen bases, one run and an RBI.  Jake Samuelson (Jr., Helena, MT) had a stolen base and one run.

“Offensively, we put the ball in play and made things happen on the bases,” said Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “We hit according to the situation, got the big hit when we needed it, and took advantage of their (OPSU) mistakes.  Defensively we made the routine plays and executed the play well.  I am very proud of the way the guys bounced back from the disappointing first game and really took the bull by the horns for the final three games.  Anytime you can get three of four conference games on the road, you look at it as a good weekend.”

In game two Ben Lewerke (Jr., Mason City, IA) threw a no-hitter through five and two-thirds innings, allowing only one runner to advance to third.  That was the closest Oklahoma Panhandle would get to crossing home plate as Lewerke pitched for the complete game, one hit shutout, striking out three.  Pryor was 2-for-4 and added two more stolen bases to his resume, making it his fourth of the day.  Pryor had one run and one RBI.  Nick Hoskyn (Jr., Oelwein, IA) was 1-for-4 with one stolen base and one run.  Willie Crtalic (Jr., Billings, MT) was 1-for-3 with a double.  Crtalic, Sansaver and Samuelson had one run and one RBI apiece.

“Today we had two great efforts on the mound from Dave and Ben,” added Brown.  “They both controlled the game from the first pitch until the last.  All in all, our pitchers had a great weekend.  Three complete game shutouts with only five hits is great.  You can’t ask for more than that.”

The Yellowjackets will make the 600 mile drive to Jefferson City, Missouri to play back to back Heartland Conference doubleheaders against the Lincoln University Blue Tigers.  The games are scheduled for March 29 and 30.