Yellowjackets Drop Doubleheader at Saint Martin’s

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LACEY, Wash. – Montana State Billings baseball team continued its struggles with Saint Martin’s University as SMU won a doubleheader Friday afternoon with a walk-off RBI bunt in the bottom of the 10th for a 2-1 score and an 8-0 win in the nightcap.  The Yellowjackets fell to 20-22 overall and 14-12 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

The walk-off bunt spoiled a strong pitching performance from Yellowjacket hurler, Brian Howe.  He went the distance, allowing 11 hits, but just two runs with one earned and he struck out a game-high 10 in the losing effort.  Jeff Brooks picked up the win in relief for SMU.

The Yellowjackets broke a scoreless tie in the seventh as Matt Schoonover singled to lead off the inning.  Brian Dukart laid down a sacrifice bunt to move Schoonover to second.  Kyle Ailes reached on an error scoring Schoonover for a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the eighth, the Yellowjackets retired two of the first three hitters, before Travis Jones reached on an error that proved costly and gave the Saints new life.  Moments later, Jake Owens singled up the middle scoring Shane Schoeneberg to tie the game.

The Yellowjackets got the possible go ahead run on in the ninth as Schoonover hit his team-best third hit of the game.  The possible rally ended as MSUB hit into an inning-ending double play.

Both teams went down in order in the bottom of the ninth and top of the 10th, respectively.  In the SMU half of the 10th, Schoeneberg singled with one out through the left side and then stole second to get into scoring position.  An infield single moved him to third, followed by a RBI bunt single by Blaine Evans for the game winner.

Schoonover led the way going 3 for 4 with a run scored as he had half of the Yellowjackets’ hits.  Schoeneberg was 3 for 5 with two runs scored to lead the way for the Saints.

SMU (19-24, 12-13) carried the momentum over to the second game as it built a 2-0 lead through the first three innings on a pair of sacrifice flies.  The Saints added six more runs through the fourth, fifth and sixth innings to blow the game open, in an 8-0 win. 

Six different Yellowajackets had hits in the nightcap.  Brian Strom took the loss as he went three innings, allowing six hits, four earned runs and two walks.  James Douglas earns the victory with a six-hit, two strikeout shutout.

The Yellowjackets will look to rebound tomorrow at 12 p.m. Pacific time as they play the final doubleheader of the series.