Jackets Split with Central Washington in Season Finale

Game One

Game Two

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – The Montana State Billings baseball team split the final doubleheader of the season Saturday afternoon at Central Washington.  The Jackets won the opener, 12-10, while CWU won the nightcap 4-2.  MSUB ended its season with an 11-35 record overall and 8-24 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  CWU finished with a 14-36 record and an equal 8-24 mark in conference play as the teams tied for fourth in the league standings.

“We hit the ball well in the first game and did enough to win,” head coach Chris Brown said.  “We came from behind and got it done.  In the second game, Brian (Howe) threw well and we left nine guys on and didn’t take advantage.  I was proud of the guys for fighting and showed a lot of character throughout the year and stuck with it.  It speaks volumes about what kind of people they are.”

In the opener, CWU jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning of the slugfest as the teams combined for 22 runs, 31 hits and 11 errors in the game.  CWU recorded seven errors leading to five unearned runs, while MSUB committed four miscues leading to two unearned runs.

Three wild pitches by Yellowjacket hurler, Kyle Gieselman led to the first run and a Kevin Walkenhauer two RBI double, a fielder’s choice RBI and a ground out RBI scored the other four runs as Gieselman lasted 1.2 innings, surrendering five earned runs on two hits with five walks and one strikeout.

The Yellowjackets got on the board in the third as senior Ty Sobieraj began the inning with a single through the left side.  A Brian Dukart RBI single scored Sobieraj and a Jaret Chatwood RBI single scored the second run.

Each team added a run in the fourth and MSUB plated three runs in the fifth, while CWU scored a run in each of the middle frames.  The Wildcats held an 8-6 lead through six.

MSUB scored two runs in each of the final three innings to rally for the win.  In the seventh, two errors proved costly for CWU both runs scored with two outs.  Patch Wirtzberger reached on a dropped fly ball scoring both runs to tie the score at eight.

Central Washington went back ahead in the bottom of the inning courtesy of a Walkenhauer RBI double as he later scored on a Yellowjacket miscue for a 10-8 score.

Sam Kinzeler came up with a two out, two RBI double to left center plating the tying runs in the eighth after the sixth CWU error proved to be costly.  In the ninth, the Jackets took the lead for good again with two outs as Jonathon Crews hit a RBI single on a 0-2 count for an 11-10 score.  On the same play, a muffed throw by CWU led to the second run as Chatwood came home for a 12-10 score.

Things got interesting in the bottom of the frame as a Yellowjacket miscue almost proved costly.  A fielding error and a single put two on with only one out.  Yellowjacket reliever, Andrew Sanchez, got a fly out and a fielder’s choice to end the game.

Sanchez (1-0) went 3.2 innings, allowing five hits, two runs – one earned and two strikeouts earning his first victory in a Yellowjacket uniform.  Senior Cody Clark pitched four innings in relief of Gieselman.

Offensively, the Jackets belted 17 hits as Chatwood and Kinzeler each had three hits.  Kinzeler was 3 for 5 with two runs scored and three RBI.  Sobieraj went a perfect 5 for 5 with two runs scored and two RBI on his final day in a Yellowjacket uniform.

It was the first conference win for the Yellowjackets since a 13-12 victory over Central Washington Mar. 28 in Billings.

In the nightcap, the Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third on a RBI single by Walkenhauer of Yellowjacket hurler Brian Howe.  MSUB evened the score in the fourth on a Kinzeler RBI single up the middle, plating Ryan Dennehy who doubled to right center. 

Two runs scored in the fifth for CWU on back-to-back doubles for a 3-1 lead.  The Jackets cut the deficit in half on a solo home run by Chris Round to begin the sixth in his final game as a Yellowjacket.  It was his third round-tripper of the year.  The Wildcats added an insurance run in the bottom of the frame on a wild pitch for a 4-2 advantage.

The Jackets had a great opportunity in the seventh, but came up empty handed leaving the bases loaded.  Wildcat starter, Jake Hammons, retired the first two batters in the inning, but plunked Dukart, threw two wild pitches a walk to load the bases. 

CWU made a pitching change brining in Jordan Wakefield who fanned Kevin Zukaitis to end the game and earned the save.

Howe (2-10) went the distance, allowing seven hits, four earned runs, one walk and he struck out six.  Hammons (2-2) went 6.2 innings, surrendering seven hits two earned runs, two walks and he fanned six. 

Both teams tallied seven hits in the game and MSUB was led by senior Matt Schoonover who went 2 for 3.  Round and Kinzeler had the two RBIs for the Jackets.

Six seniors played their final games on Saturday.  The 2010 senior class includes: Cody Clark; Brian Dukart, Chris Round, Matt Schoonover, Ty Sobieraj and Patch Wirtzberger.

“The seniors epitomize the attitude of the team this year and they stuck with it and I am really proud of them,” Brown added.  “They have bright futures ahead of them and I appreciate the time and effort they have put into the program.”