Yellowjackets Battle Back, Split Exhibition Twin Bill with Miles Community College

Game One

Game Two

BILLINGS, Mont. – With two outs in the bottom of the 11th inning, Montana State Billings junior Jaret Chatwood singled home Chris Stine to break a 6-6 tie and salvage an exhibition split with Miles Community College Wednesday afternoon at Dehler Park.  The Pioneers won the opener 13-7.

For the doubleheader, MSUB was led by Kevin Zukaitis and Stine who each had four hits.  Stine was 4 of 11 with two runs scored and a double.  Zukaitis led the team with three RBIs, a home run and seven total bases. 

MCC was led by Justin Harcharik who was a team-best 5 for 9 with a triple and a home run and four RBI.  Travis Capps, Riley Semmens and Austin Rue each had four hits and Rue was batted in a game-high five times in the doubleheader.

The opener saw the Pioneers jump out to a 1-0 lead in the first on a solo home run from Capps.  Miles added three more runs in the third courtesy of a two run home run from Trevor Wilson and a RBI double for a 4-0 lead.

The Jackets cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the frame courtesy of back-to-back home runs from Jordan Kessler and Zukaitis.

Nine runs crossed the plate for the Pioneers in the fifth and sixth innings to blow the game open.  Six runs scored on five hits alone in the fifth.  MSUB plated three runs in the middle frames courtesy of a Ty Sobieraj double down the line and a Zukaitis RBI single in the fifth and a sacrifice fly by Jonathon Crews in the sixth. 

MSUB plated two runs in the seventh on a double down the line by Joel Barnett for a 13-7 score.

The Jackets used six pitchers in the opener as Ben Leister took the loss, going three innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, two walks and he fanned two.  Austan Bosch earned the victory pitching 4.1 innings, allowing five hits, four earned runs, four walks and he struck out three.

In the nightcap, the Pioneers took the lead in the first inning again, but the Yellowjackets scored four runs in the second and third innings combined for a 4-1 lead.  Devon Hedin singled home the first run in the second and Barnett scored unearned courtesy of two Pioneer miscues. 

A Blake Nelson RBI double to right and a Zukaitis RBI single scored the next two runs in the third.  The Jackets added the fifth run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Kessler for a 5-1 lead.

The Pioneers started their torrid comeback plating three runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to force extra innings.  A RBI double and an infield single, coupled with a run scoring on a wild pitch brought the Pioneers to within 5-4.  A bases loaded single in the seventh tied the game.

MCC regained the lead in the eighth on a RBI triple, but the Jackets evened the score in the bottom of the frame as Nelson began the inning with a double and later scored on a Brady Chavez groundout for a 6-6 score.

The Pioneers had a great chance in the ninth as they left the bases loaded.  MSUB left two on in the bottom of the frame.  MCC also had two on with one out in the 10th, but Yellowjacket reliever, Ty Sobieraj, got two key strikeouts to end the threat.

Crews began the 11th with a walk and Stine reached on a fielder’s choice.  He advance into scoring position on a critical miscue by the Pioneers.  Pitcher, Jaron Gold, tried to throw over to first to attempt to pickoff Stine, but the ball sailed wide of Wilson for the fourth error of the game for Miles.  Chatwood then laced the game-winning single.

The Yellowjackets return to conference play Friday at 3 p.m. with the first of two doubleheaders versus Northwest Nazarene.  The Jackets and the Crusaders conclude the season series Saturday at 1 p.m. with both doubleheaders scheduled for Dehler Park.