Jackets Sweep Aggies, Reach .500 Mark (3/10/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

GOODWELL, OK – The Montana State-Billings baseball team wrapped up its second series sweep of the week on Saturday, defeating Oklahoma Panhandle State 6-0 and 5-3.  The pair of victories extended the Jackets' school-record winning streak to eight games and improved their season record to 11-11.  It's the first time since baseball was added at MSUB last year that the Yellowjackets have been .500 at any point of the season.

Coming off a disappointing four-game series sweep at St. Edward’s last week, the Yellowjackets put the pieces together for eight wins in the last six days.  They started with their first-ever series sweep at Texas-Permian Basin on Monday and Tuesday and kept rolling with the Friday-Saturday sweep of the Aggies.  Along with improving to .500, the Jackets moved to 6-10 in the Heartland Conference.

Brian Strom (Littleton, CO) tossed a complete game five-hitter in Saturday’s opener, shutting out the Aggies for his second win of the year.  He struck out six and walked three.  The offense gave Strom all the support he needed with three runs in the top of the third inning.  They tacked on another run in the sixth and two in the seventh.

The Electric City duo of Jordan Shine and Matt Schoonover, both from Great Falls, combined for four of the Jackets’ eight hits.  Both went 2-for-3 with a run and an RBI apiece.  Patrick Smith (Flagstaff, AZ) was 1-for-4 with a double and drove in two runs.  Doug Longfellow (Lewistown, MT), Nick Hoskyn (Oelwein, IA), and Seth Moir (Cody, WY) each had a stolen base.  Hoskyn is a perfect 8-for-8 on stolen base attempts this year.

“We had a good approach at the plate in the first game,” said Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “We took advantage of the opportunities when we had them.  We made plays defensively, and Strom went out and put up zeros.  He had a heck of a game.”

The Yellowjackets were even more opportunistic in the second game, scoring five runs with just five hits.  They took advantage of four Aggies errors, nine walks, and two batters hit by pitch.  MSUB scored runs in the fifth and sixth innings to pull away from a 3-2 lead. 

Ben Lewerke (Mason City, IA) scattered six hits over six innings to improve to 3-1.  He struck out two and walked one, giving up just one earned run.  Mike Cease (Deer Lodge, MT) came on in relief of Lewerke in the seventh inning and didn’t allow a hit.  He retired all three batters he faced for his team-leading fourth save of the season.

Schoonover and Smith were each 2-for-3.  Schoonover had a double and again scored a run and drove in a run.  Kyle Pryor (Billings, MT) reached on errors twice and scored both times.

“We didn’t swing the bat well in the second game,” said Brown.  “We were able to move runners over and take advantage of what they gave us.  It was an ugly game, but pretty much every time they made a mistake we took advantage of it.  The biggest thing we will take away from this trip is learning how to win.  Once you know how to win, you find ways to win.  That’s what we did in that second game.  Now we’re .500, and that’s huge.”

The Yellowjackets continue their role of road warrior with eight more games away from Billings before playing their home opener on March 30.  They play non-conference games at Central Washington on March 17 and 18 and return to Heartland Conference action with doubleheaders at Lincoln University on March 23 and 24.