Wolves Bite Yellowjackets in Doubleheader Sweep

Game One

Game Two

BILLINGS, Mont. – Western Oregon University swept a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader from host Montana State Billings Thursday afternoon at Dehler Park.  The Wolves won the opener 8-1 behind a one-hitter from starting pitcher Blake Keitzman and won the nightcap 15-5. 

The Yellowjackets (23-27, 15-15 GNAC) had a good scoring opportunity in the bottom of the second as Joe Via drew a walk to begin the inning, followed by a fielder’s choice sacrifice bunt from Nick Harris who reached on a Keitzman error.  Levi Johnson then placed a nice sacrifice bunt moving both batters to second and third.  Keitzman got out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout.

Keitzman found himself in trouble again in the third as he walked the first two batters of the inning.  The runners moved to second and third on a hit and run groundout by Matt Schoonover, moments later.  The WOU hurler got out of the jam again unscathed as he recorded his fourth strikeout of the game, this time fanning Via.

The Wolves (32-11, 23-3 GNAC) broke open the score in the fourth as Eric Renander tripled to right center scoring two runs followed b a J.J. Mascolo double to left to score the third run of the inning.  Yellowjacket hurler, Brian Howe, recorded his second strikeout of the game to get out of the inning.

Back-to-back home runs by Jason Moseby and Kyle Boe swelled the Wolves’ lead to 7-0 in the fifth inning.  Moseby hit a three run shot, while Boe added a solo round-tripper helped out by a Yellowjacket miscue and a single by Bill Clontz in the inning.  Yellowjacket right fielder, Mike Cease made a great diving catch and ran down a deep fly to end the inning.

Clontz began the seventh with a solo shot to right off Yellowjacket reliever, Jeff Bjorklund for an 8-0 lead. 

Howe (4-6) went five innings, allowing nine hits, seven runs – six earned, two walks and three strikeouts. 

Nick Harris ended the Keitzman no-hitter with one swing of the bat as he drove a solo home run to right center for his fourth round-tripper of the year.  WOU head coach Jeremiah Robbins pulled Keitzman moments later in favor of Rye Phillips who got out of the inning with a groundout. 

Keitzman (8-0) went 7.2 innings, allowing one hit, one earned run, six walks and he fanned 11 for the win.

Moseby began game two with a RBI triple in the second, followed by a two run home run from Boe for a 3-0 lead off Yellowjacket hurler Brian Strom.  Mascolo hit the second triple of the inning to left center with just one out, followed by Travis Fox who grounded out to first, scoring Mascolo for a 4-0 lead.

An infield hit by Justin Speer loaded the bases as WOU batted around in the inning.  Clontz then hit a two RBI single for a 6-0 lead his second time up in the inning.  Moseby then singled up the middle plating two more runs for an 8-0 lead.

The Yellowjackets loaded the bases in the bottom of the third courtesy of two walks by Mike Eisenhauer.  Bryce Thomas hit an infield single scoring the first run of the game for MSUB, followed by a RBI single to right from Matt Schoonover for an 8-2 score.  Harris roped a single scoring the third run of the inning and Thomas came around third and was gunned down at the plate.

The Wolves plated three more runs in the fifth on a three RBI double by Fox for an 11-3 lead.  Bryce Thomas scored the fourth run of the game in the bottom of the frame for an 11-4 score.

WOU scored two more runs in the sixth, but the Yellowjackets continued to fight hard as Via led-off the inning with a double, followed by a RBI double from Ty Sobieraj for a 13-5 score.  WOU added two more runs in the seventh for a 15-5 score.

Thomas and Sobieraj led the way with two hits and a RBI each, while Moseby went 3 for 4 with five RBI and one run scored to lead the way for WOU.  Fox went 1 for 5 with four RBI.

The Yellowjackets and the Wolves will close out the regular season tomorrow with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. at Dehler Park.