Yellowjackets Battle Back to Earn Split at Saint Martin’s

Game 2
Game 3
Game 4

LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State Billings baseball team evened its Great Northwest Athletic Conference record Sunday afternoon as it salvaged a split at Saint Martin’s Sunday afternoon.  The Yellowjackets stand at 3-10 on the year and 2-2 in league play, while SMU is 5-11 overall and 2-2 in conference play.  MSUB won the resumed game from yesterday 1-0, while SMU won the Sunday opener 10-5 and the Yellowjackets won the nightcap, 7-1.

“From the standpoint of the first conference weekend, the minimum goal is to split on the road and we did that,” head coach Chris Brown said.  “Kody Kennedy and Brian Howe threw about as well as you can ask.  Kody threw a gem and Brian got back on track and had a shutout through 5.2 innings.”

The second game from yesterday was called after six innings because of darkness with the Jackets up 1-0.  The game resumed this morning prior to the regular scheduled doubleheader for Sunday. 

The Jackets used their most dominating pitching performance of the season as Kody Kennedy struck out a season-high 13 and walked just two in the victory.  He allowed only two hits as Archie Smith earned his first save of the season, setting down the Saints in order in the seventh for the 1-0 victory.

MSUB had six hits in the game from six different batters.  In the third, Sam Kinzeler led off the inning with a double and Ryan Dennehy reached on fielder’s choice and stole second to get into scoring position.  Jeff Ridgeway singled home Dennehy for the 1-0 score.  It could have been more as Brian Dukart doubled to right field, but Ridgeway was gunned down at the plate on a throw from right field through second base to the plate.

Kennedy struck out eight of the first 11 Saints in the victory as SMU had no answer for him. 

Following the resumed game from yesterday, Smith received the start for the Yellowjackets and struggled in the first four innings as SMU plated four runs for a 4-2 lead.  Smith entered the day with a 1-0 record and a 1.50 ERA. 

The Saints plated a run in the first inning as they tallied two hits and a RBI groundout for a 1-0 lead.  MSUB came right back in the top of the second as it evened the game as Dennehy walked and stole second followed by a RBI single from Ty Sobieraj for a 1-1 score.

SMU regained the lead in the third on a RBI double and a two run home run from Aaron Johnson for a 4-1 score.  MSUB began clawing its way back into the game in the fourth with a RBI sacrifice fly from Sobieraj for a 4-2 score.

The Jackets cut it to 4-3 in the fifth, but four runs over the next two innings off Yellowjacket reliever, Cody Clark, gave the Saints new momentum and an 8-3 lead.  MSUB added a run in the eighth on another sacrifice fly from Sobieraj and Dukart RBI double in the ninth for a 10-5 loss.

Smith (1-1) went four innings, surrendering five hits, four earned runs and one strikeout.  MSUB had four players with two or more hits led by Matt Schoonover who was 3 for 5 with a run scored. Sobieraj was 1 for 2 with three RBI and Dukart was 2 for 5 with two RBI.

SMU was led by two players with three RBI each.  Johnson was 1 for 4 with a run scored, a home run and three RBI, while Michael McIver was 2 for 3 with a run scored and three RBI.

The Yellowjackets came out of the gates fast in the nightcap, plating three runs in the first inning, courtesy of two costly Saint miscues.  Ridgeway reached on an error to begin the game and later scored, followed by a Jordan Kessler RBI double to right and a Sobieraj sacrifice fly for a RBI and a 3-0 lead.

“We also hit the ball pretty well this weekend and it was a good step forward,” Brown added.  “I’m very proud of the guys to bounce back after that third game as we put up three in the first inning of the fourth game, which was big.”

MSUB added two runs in the fifth and sixth innings for a 7-0 lead as Yellowjacket hurler, Brian Howe, stymied the Saints’ offense.  MSUB outhit the Saints 12-4 in the game.

Blake Nelson and Kinzeler each had RBI singles in the fifth and Ridgeway doubled to begin the sixth, while Dukart singled him home and Kessler singled home the seventh run.

The Saints got on the board in the sixth with a RBI single up the middle from Johnson.

Howe (1-2) had his best game of the young season as he went six innings, scattering three hits, one earned run, one walk and a game-high seven strikeouts.  Brian Hutchings pitched the final inning, surrendering a hit and he fanned one. 

The Yellowjackets return home from their spring break trip and will return to the road at GNAC preseason favorite Western Oregon next weekend.  The first of four games against the Wolves is scheduled for 12 p.m. Pacific time on Friday, Mar. 12.  The home opener for the 2010 season is scheduled for Mar. 26 at 3 p.m. versus Central Washington at Dehler Park.