Yellowjackets Unravel, Drop Two (2/21/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX-  After coming off a split against Texas A&M – International Tuesday, the Montana State-Billings baseball team dropped both ends of Wednesday’s Heartland Conference doubleheader against St. Mary’s University.  The Jackets never got the opportunity to gain momentum in game one allowing the Rattlers to cruise to the 18-0 win.  In the late game, St. Mary’s used two five runs innings to blow open the 14-2 win.  The Yellowjackets fall to 2-6 overall and 1-5 in the Heartland Conference.  St. Mary’s improved to 8-2, and a perfect 6-0 in league play.

The Yellowjackets and Rattlers each came up empty-handed in the first inning but six Rattler runs in the bottom of the second put the Jackets into a hole that they never climbed out of.  Keeping the Jackets’ offense out of the race, the Rattlers went to work at the plate.  St. Mary’s scored two runs in the third, five in the fourth, one in the fifth, and four in the sixth.  The Rattlers burnt the barn down scoring a total 18 runs off 21 hits in the game. 

The Yellowjackets’ Jake Samuelson (Helena, MT) went 2-for-2 for the Jackets with his teammate Nick Hoskyn (Oelwein, IA) going 2-for-3.  The Jackets’ standout pitcher Kyle McBride (Billings, MT) had a rough day on the mound taking the loss for the Yellowjackets.  McBride allowed 12 runs, all of them earned, off 13 hits in 3.1 innings pitched.  He struck out just one batter.  Relief pitcher Chris Martin (Billings, MT) came in for 2.2 innings allowing six runs off eight hits.

The Rattlers’ Ricky Gonzalez went 4-for-4, scoring four runs and driving in a game-high eight RBI.  Gonzalez hit the lone home run of the ball game.  Pitcher Caleb Staudt improved to 3-1 scattering seven Yellowjacket hits over 5.0 innings.  Staudt seated four batters.

Hoping for a turn of fortune, the Yellowjackets’ Kyle Pryor (Billings, MT) was walked to start game two.  Doug Longfellow (Lewistown, MT) hit a sacrifice bunt advancing Pryor to second.  Hoskyn hit a single to center field getting Pryor into scoring position but the next two batters were seated to end the inning.

The Rattlers showed why they are ranked in the top 25 in the nation as they put together two five-run innings in the third and fourth to spoil a possible Yellowjacket comeback.  Fighting until the final out, the Jackets scored two runs in the top of the seventh.  Samuelson singled up the middle and a double by Patrick Smith (Flagstaff, AZ) drove in Samuelson for the RBI.  Mike Cease (Deer Lodge, MT) singled through the left side, advancing Smith to third and Pryor grounded out to second for an RBI.

Samuelson went 3-for-3, scoring one of the Jackets’ runs, while Smith went 1-for-1, scoring a run and driving in one RBI.  James Lester (Missoula, MT) allowed 11 runs off 13 hits in 3.2 innings to take the loss.  Jon Clark (Anaconda, MT) stepped onto the mound for the final 2.1 innings allowing three runs off one hit.  Both pitchers struck out one.

Brandon Lippe improved to 2-0 for the Rattlers scattering just three hits in 5.0 innings pitched.  He seated five batters before Frank Flores came in to close the final 2.0 innings.  Michael Pawelek went 2-for-3 scoring two runs and driving in a game-high four RBI.  Cody Pyle went 3-for-3 with two runs and three RBI.

The Yellowjackets wrap up their 10-day, 10-game road trip with a doubleheader against St. Mary’s University Wednesday in San Antonio, TX.  The Heartland Conference counters are scheduled for 2:00 and 4:30 p.m. CST.