Yellowjackets Split Twinbill at Central Washington

Box Score (Game 1)
Box Score (Game 2)

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State Billings baseball team came from behind en route to a doubleheader split at Central Washington Friday afternoon.  The Wildcats won the opener 2-0, while MSUB rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 4-2 win in the nightcap.  With the split, MSUB stands at 11-11 on the year and 5-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  CWU now is 6-12 overall and 2-4 in conference play.

In a great pitching duel, Brian Howe (2-2) went eight innings, allowing just six hits, two unearned runs, two walks and he struck out eight in the opener.  Derek Shoemaker went all nine innings to improve to 3-3 on the year. He allowed 10 hits, no runs, three walks and he struck out a game-high 11 Yellwojackets.

“Brian Howe threw a heck of a game,” head coach Chris Brown said.  “We just couldn’t get guys in and Shoemaker (Derek) had a great game.”

CWU scored the two decisive runs in the bottom of the sixth on a costly Yellowjacket error.  A lead-off double followed a bunt from Andrew Snowdon that led to a Yellowjacket throwing error scored the first run.  The Wildcats played small ball as a sacrifice bunt followed by a sacrifice fly scored the second run for a 2-0 lead.

MSUB left runners on base in eight of the nine innings, including leaving two runners on base in three innings.  In the eighth, the Yellowjackets had Stefan Malkuch 90 feet away, but a groundout ended the threat.  The Yellowjackets went down in order in the ninth. 

Matt Schoonover led the way offensively, going 3 for 4 and Nick Harris went 2 for 4 as seven different MSUB players had hits.  MSUB left 11 base runners stranded in the game.

In the nightcap, CWU jumped on the board in the second inning courtesy of a Yellowjacket miscue and a RBI single.  Both runs in the inning were unearned as CWU did not score an earned run in either game.

MSUB responded quickly in the top of the third, plating two runs to even the score at two.  Cole Pryor led the inning off with a double to right field.  Nick Harris lined a RBI single to get the ‘Jackets on the board for the first time moments later.  Schoonover continued his hot bat as he singled to center scoring Harris for a 2-2 score.

“We bounced back and our guys showed a lot of character,” Brown said.  “We got down 2-0, but came right back and Schoonover was big for us today with three hits in the first game and driving in the tying run and the insurance run in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.”

The Yellowjackets took the lead in the fifth as Joe Via began the inning with a single.  After Stefan Malkuch was hit by a pitch, Levi Johnson reached base on a dropped fly ball, scoring Via for a 3-2 lead. 

Brian Strom (2-2) went five innings, allowing four hits, two unearned runs, four walks and four strikeouts.  Malkuch pitched two innings in relief to earn the save, allowing one walk and fanning one. 

“Brian Strom gave a good five innings and Malkuch came in and closed the door for us,” Brown added.

In the seventh, Ryan Skillern began the inning with a single, followed by a sacrifice bunt from Malkuch.  A wild pitch moved Skillern to third, followed by the sacrifice fly from Schoonover for a 4-2 score.  The Wildcats did get a walk in the seventh, followed by a game-ending double play.

For the day, Schoonover led the way going 5 for 7 on the day with two RBI.  Harris was 3 for 7.  MSUB did not surrender an earned run on the day and had 17 hits compared to 10 for CWU.  Both teams left a ton of runners on base as MSUB stranded 20 for both games and the Wildcats left 15 on base.  

The teams will conclude the four game series Saturday with another doubleheader beginning at 12 p.m. Pacific time.  Live stats can be viewed by going to http://www.gnacsports.com/cwulive/baseball/xlive.htm.