Jackets and Wolves Split Final Doubleheader

Game One

Game Two

MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Montana State Billings baseball team battled back again Sunday and earned a key split at Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason favorite, Western Oregon.  WOU won the opener 12-0, while the Yellowjackets scored early and often in the nightcap and won 15-11.  MSUB improved to 5-12 on the year and 4-4 in conference play, while WOU is 10-11 on the year and 5-3 in conference play.

“We battled back today and our guys showed great character coming back in the second game,” head coach Chris Brown said.  “Anytime you can get a split at Western Oregon is great as it is a tough place to play.”

Just as in yesterday’s games, the Wolves took the opener.  However, Yellowjacket hurler Brian Howe pitched a solid six innings allowing just one run on a WOU RBI double in the fifth.  The Yellowjacket bullpen struggled from there on, allowing seven earned runs in the final 1.2 innings as WOU scored seven runs in the final two innings.  Howe (2-3) was charged with five earned runs, eight hits, two walks and one strikeout. 

Jacob Pettit (4-4) earned the victory for WOU as he went eight innings scattering five hits with one walk and five strikeouts.  MSUB had five hits in the game, two coming from Brian Dukart (2 for 4) and three players had one hit each.

MSUB rallied in the nightcap, scoring early with four runs in the first as it scored in all but one inning.  The Jackets used five hits in the opening frame on a RBI single from Jaret Chatwood, a RBI double from Kevin Zukaitis and a double from Ryan Dennehy to go along with a sacrifice fly from Jordan Kessler.

The Wolves cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the inning on a RBI triple and a RBI fly out for a 4-2 score.  Dukart belted a RBI double in the second for a 5-2 lead.  MSUB extended the lead to 6-2 in the third, but WOU cut into the deficit in the bottom of the frame on a two run triple for a 6-4 score.

Eight more runs crossed the plate in the next two innings for the Yellowjackets with three in the fourth and five in the fifth.  Dennehy hit a two RBI single in the fourth, while Kessler hit a two RBI single and a WOU miscue helped the cause in the fifth for a 14-8 score.  WOU scored four runs in the bottom of the fourth to keep the game close.

MSUB added another run in the seventh on a Jeff Ridgeway RBI single for a 15-8 lead.  WOU made things interesting it its final at bat as it began the inning with two walks and a RBI double.  A hit batsmen and another walk scored another run.

The Jackets got a huge double play which scored the third run, but a groundout ended the game moments later for a 15-11 win.

It was the first time MSUB won two games in a series against WOU and just the third win in Monmouth in school history.  The Jackets were just 1-7 all-time at WOU entering the series and were 2-15 all-time overall.  MSUB has won three of the last six in the series after winning just one of the first 15. 

Kessler and Dennehy led the team with four RBI a piece, while Chatwood and Zukaitis each had two.  Ridgeway led the team with four hits in six at bats.  He also scored three runs as did Zukaitis.  It was the most runs scored this season by MSUB and the most hits (17) on the year. 

Kyle Gieselman started the game for MSUB going 3.2 innings allowing eight hits, eight runs – seven earned and two walks.  Cody Clark (1-2) earned his first win of the season in relief as he went 2.1 innings, allowing two hits, three earned runs, four walks and one strikeout.

Kirk Lind (2-4) earns the loss as he went just two innings allowing nine hits, six earned runs and one strikeout. 

MSUB returns home before heading to Northwest Nazarene for a four game set beginning Friday, Mar. 19, at 4 p.m., followed by a second doubleheader Mar. 20, at 12 p.m., to conclude the opening 21-game road trip. 

The Jackets are scheduled to open the home slate Friday, Mar. 26, at 3 p.m., versus Central Washington at Dehler Park.