Yellowjackets Split Twinbill with Central Washington in Home Opener

Game One

Game Two

Photo Gallery

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings baseball team battled back to earn a split with visiting Central Washington Friday afternoon.  The Wildcats scored 11 runs in the eighth inning of the opener to blow the game open for a 15-3 victory.  The Jackets came back with a complete game performance from pitcher Kody Kennedy in a 5-3 win in the nightcap.

“Overall, I am happy that we came back and won, but we need to stop the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stuff,” head coach Chris Brown said.  “Kody (Kennedy) pitched a great second game and we took advantage of their mistakes and executed.  The first game was great through six innings and then the wheels fell off.”

The Yellowjackets jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first courtesy of a Wildcat miscue for an early 1-0 lead as Brian Dukart reached on an error and later scored on a groundout.

Central Washington tied the game in the fourth, but could have had a lot more in both the third and the fourth frames as it left four runners on combined.  Two bunt singles highlighted the first three at bats in the fourth, but Yellowjacket starter, Jacob Vulk, settled down and got a big strikeout, followed by the equalizing sacrifice bunt and then an inning-ending groundout.

The visitors took the lead in the fifth and added two more runs in the seventh for a 4-3 lead.  The Wildcats plated 11 runs in the eighth inning to blow the game wide open.  Keola Rubin hit two home runs in the game and went 4 of 5 with four runs scored and six RBI.

Vulk (0-3) was credited with the loss, but pitched 6.1 innings, surrendering seven hits, four runs – three earned, two walks and five strikeouts.  Bryce Hjellum (2-4) went the distance for CWU, scattering eight hits, three runs – one earned, five walks and four strikeouts.

In the nightcap, as for the majority of the conference season, the Yellowjacket responded well to the opening game loss. MSUB plated two runs in the second inning as Sam Kinzeler led the inning with a double to right, followed by an RBI single from Chris Round for a 1-0 lead.  Ty Sobieraj followed with a double, scoring Round for a 2-0 lead.

Central Washington came roaring back in the third as it plated three runs courtesy of a Yellowjacket error and an RBI double for a 3-2 lead.

It was a short-lived lead as MSUB evened the score in the bottom of the frame as Kinzeler drew a two out walk, followed by a Blake Nelson RBI double to right for a 3-3 score.  The Jackets plated two more runs in the fifth also with two outs.  This time, an error by CWU prolonged the decisive inning as Round doubled home Nelson, followed later by a Patch Wirtzberger RBI single for a 5-3 lead.

Kennedy pitched a perfect sixth and walked a batter in the seventh, but got Jake Hammons to look at strike three to end the game.  Kennedy (3-1) went the distance, scattering five hits, three earned runs with five walks and eight strikeouts.  Jake Millbauer (1-5) took the loss going the distance as well.  He allowed 10 hits, five runs – three earned, four walks and three strikeouts.

Offensively, Round led the way in the nightcap, going 2 for 3 with two runs scored and two RBI.  For CWU Rubin went 5 for 8 for the day with five runs scored, two home runs and six RBI.