Jackets Drop Extra Inning Heartbreaker (3/1/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

AUSTIN, TX- On the verge of handing Heartland Conference league-leader St. Edward’s University their first conference loss of the season, a miss-play in the seventh by Montana State-Billings cost the Yellowjackets the win.  MSUB gave up a run in the eighth to fall 6-5 in game one.  The Jackets dropped the second game 5-2 to fall to 3-9 overall and 2-8 in the league.  The Hilltoppers continued their conference dominance improving to 15-2 and 10-0 in the Heartland. 

The Yellowjackets gave the omnipotent Hilltoppers a run for their money in the first game where the Jackets led 5-3 through six innings.  With a huge conference win in sight, the Yellowjackets stumbled in the seventh.  With two outs a dropped fly ball, the Jackets allowed the Hilltoppers’ David McKay to score an unearned run forcing the game into an extra inning.

Matt Schoonover (Great Falls, MT) led MSUB off in the eighth with a single to left field.  Kyle Pryor’s (Billings, MT) sacrifice bunt advanced Schoonover to second but the Jackets would be tagged out on the final two at-bats to set the Toppers up in the bottom of the eighth.  St. Edward’s scored an unearned run to remain unbeaten in conference play.

“In the first game we scored runs in the second, third, fourth, and sixth innings,” said Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “It shows that we were being consistent and did a good job scoring runners.  We played well defensively and Kyle pitched well enough for the win.  It just didn’t happen for us.”

Seth Moir (Cody, WY) led the Jackets going 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI.  Willie Crtalic (Billings, MT) went 1-for-2 scoring two runs, while teammate Doug Longfellow (Lewistown, MT) went 1-for-4 hitting a triple and scoring a run.  Kyle McBride (Billings, MT) scattered five runs off six hits in six innings pitched.  He walked no batters and struck out three.  Mike Cease (Deer Lodge, MT) took the loss for the Yellowjackets.

The Jackets were down 1-0 entering the third inning to start game two.  Pat Smith (Flagstaff, AZ) singled to the shortstop followed by a bunt by Pryor to place runners on first and second.  Jake Samuelson (Helena, MT) grounded out to the short stop on the next at-bat for the RBI.  Nick Hoskyn (Oelwein, IA) singled to right field scoring Pryor giving the Jackets the 2-1 lead. 

The Yellowjackets kept the Hilltoppers scoreless over the next two innings until Brian Thomas and Yannick Bergeron opened the sixth inning hitting two triples.  Thomas and Bergeron were followed by three solid hits by their teammates to put the Toppers up 5-2.  The Jackets were shutout in the seventh as St. Edward’s extended their winning streak to 15.

Smith went 3-for-3 in the game, hitting a double and scoring one run for the Yellowjackets.  Pryor went 1-for-4 scoring the only other run of the game for MSU Billings.  James Lester (Missoula, MT) took the loss for the Jackets allowing five runs off 11 hits in five innings.

The Toppers’ James Wright improved to 4-1 for the season picking up the win for St. Edward’s.  Wright scattered two runs off six hits in six innings pitched.  He seated five batters.  Bergeron went 2-for-3, scored two runs and had one RBI.

“We left to many runners on base in the second game,” said Brown.  “St. Edward’s had a couple of big hits in the sixth that turned the game in their favor.  Tomorrow we need to keep our heads up and play inning to inning and not take anything for granted.”

The Yellowjackets and Toppers will meet again for a Heartland Conference doubleheader Friday, March 2 in Austin.  First pitch is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST.  Jeremy Knowles (Three Forks, MT) will start game one on the mound for the Yellowjackets while Ben Lewerke (Mason City, IA) will look to expand on his 2-0 record by starting game two.