April 19, 2008          
                                                                  

Late-Inning Runs Prove Costly in Doubleheader Sweep

     Box Score 1
     Box Score 2

BILLINGS, Mont. – Late-inning runs proved costly as Saint Martin’s swept a doubleheader 14-13 and 8-4 against Montana State Billings Saturday afternoon at Pirtz Field.  With the losses, the Yellowjackets fall to 11-29 on the year and 2-16 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. 

Saint Martin’s (15-18, 11-10) scored four runs in the top of the ninth in game one and held on for a 14-13 win and broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh in the nightcap for an 8-4 win.

Cole Pryor singled to lead-off the bottom of the first and Stefan Malkuch roped a triple to right field scoring Pryor.  Moments later, Levi Johnson lined a RBI double down the right field line for a 2-0 score. 

The Saints loaded the bases in the top of the second with one out as Corey Grayson singled up the middle to score the first run of the game for SMU.  Lead-off hitter Shane Shoeneberg singled to right field to tie the game at two.  Tom Barlow roped a single to left field for the third consecutive RBI single giving SMU a 3-2 lead.  A hit batsman brought in the fourth run of the inning for the Saints. 

The Yellowjackets came right back in the second with three runs highlighted by a two run single by Levi Johnson giving the Jackets a 5-4 lead.  In the inning, the Jackets loaded the bases and the first run scored on a hit batsman. 

Saint Martin’s evened the score in the fourth as Shoeneberg tripled to right center to begin the inning, followed by a RBI ground out by Barlow for a 5-5 score.  The Saints took the lead in the fifth on a sacrifice fly by Luke Abbott scoring Craig Yuhas from third.  Yuhas advanced to third on a stolen base and an error after a lead-off single.  Moments later, a RBI groundout by Shoeneberg gave the Saints a 7-5 advantage.

Abbott lined a run scoring single to right field giving SMU an 8-5 lead in the sixth.  Michael McIver lined a single up the middle increasing the lead to 9-5.  A solo home run by Yuhas in the eighth increased the lead to 10-5. 

The Jackets loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the eighth followed by a single by Matt Kakalecik scoring two runs for a 10-7 score.

The Saints loaded the bases in the ninth and then Brandon Kuykendall hit a three run double to deep center plating three runs.  Moments later, a ground out to shortstop scored Kuykendall for a 14-7 lead.

The Jackets scratched across a run in the ninth off a Saint error.  Later in the inning, MSUB loaded the bases as Jonathan Schlender belted a two run double to right field for a 14-10 score.  Kakalecik lined a RBI single, followed by an error as the Jackets plated six runs in the inning but fell 14-13.

MSUB had four players with two hits in the opener.  Johnson and Schlender each had three RBIs in the losing effort.  Abbott went 4 for 4 with two RBI and a run scored to lead the Saints.

As in the opener, the Jackets scored two runs in the bottom of the first of the nightcap as Johnson belted a two run single up the middle for a 2-0 lead.  The Jackets increased the lead in the second with a RBI by Cole Pryor for a 3-0 lead.

A pair of errors proved costly as pinch-hitter Abbott continued his hot play with a two out double to right center scoring two runs to get the Saints back in the game.  Yellowjacket hurler Steve Scott had retired seven straight going back to the second inning before consecutive errors put men at the corners for Abbott.  Shoeneberg tied the game with a single up the middle for a 3-3 score. 

Johnson gave the Jackets the lead with a double down the left field line in the fifth for a 4-3 score. 

The Saints had runners at the corners with nobody out in the sixth when they tried the double steal and Pryor made a nice throw home to cut down Yuhas at the plate to prevent the tying run.  Later in the inning, SMU loaded the bases and scored the tying run on a hit batsmen.  The Jackets brought in Malkuch to pitch and he got out of the jam with a 123 double play.

In the seventh, the Saints took the lead with a RBI single to right field from Kuykendall for a 5-4 lead.  Yuhas singled up the middle to plate Kuykendall for the second run of the inning.  Moments later, McIver belted a two run home run to right center for an 8-4 lead.

The Jackets loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh with two singles and a walk on reliever Kevin Jones.   Jones came back and struck out the side to take the 8-4 victory.

The teams will be back in action tomorrow at 11 a.m. with another doubleheader at Pirtz Field.