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BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings baseball team was looking to bounce back after their long trip to Monmouth, Ore., and Tuesday afternoon was just what they were looking for. The Yellowjackets swept their non-conference doubleheader over Dickinson State University 7-4 and 5-1 at Dehler Park in non-conference action.
 
The pair of wins improve the 'Jackets to 13-15 for the season while the Blue Hawks move to an even .500 (17-17) for the season.
 
“Our pitchers did a very good job today to hold a pretty good offense in check,” said head coach Rob Bishop. “Zach (Smith) and Bobby (Ragasa) were both outstanding on the mound. Offensively, we did enough and had a few keys hits that put us over the top. These were two good wins for us.”
 
Game One: MSUB 7, DSU 4
 
The Blue Hawks kicked off the twinbill with a pair of runs in the opening inning of the first game and appeared to be in control early as they tacked on another two runs in the next inning after MSUB got one run back, but the lead would not last for long.
 
After holding Dickinson to a three-up, three-down in the top of the third inning, the Yellowjackets stung with three runs to tie the score at four-all. Freshman Ty Gilmore drove in Colby Robison with a single just past the first baseman to start the scoring drive.
 
Gilmore then stole second base, drawing the throw from Dickinson's catcher which gave Mack Unruh ample time to cruise home. Blake Nelson then wasted no time in driving Gilmore home with a single up the middle to keep MSUB firmly in the game.
 
The game would pass by scoreless for the next four and a half innings before the MSUB bats came alive again led off by Blake Loran's double down the right field line which scored Matt Comer. Trevor Wilson would then put the exclamation point on MSUB's victory with a two-run home run over the left field fence to put the Yellowjackets up for good, 7-4.
 
Robison, Nelson and Wilson all had two hits for the game with Gilmore crossing the dish twice.
 
Bobby Ragasa (2-0) came in during the second inning, pitching seven and a third innings to earn the win while Travis Vincent came in for the final two-thirds of an inning to record his first save of the season. Ragasa struck out seven batters and Vincent finished the game by retiring the last two outs via K's.
 
CJ Ketron matched Ragasa's 7.1 innings but struck out just four batters as he gave up five earned runs to suffer the loss and fall to 4-4 for the year.
 
Game Two: MSUB 5, DSU 1
 
With the spark back, the 'Jackets never trailed in the second game and were just one-third of an inning away from earning their second shutout of the season, but Sam Bisson ruined Zachary Smith's shutout with an RBI single to left-center field to score Zach Griffith with two outs registered.
 
MSUB scored three runs in the third inning off a pair of doubles by Gilmore and Loran before notching another run in the fourth and a final score in the sixth frame.
 
Brody Miller and Loran both went 3-for-4 at the plate with Miller scoring twice and knocking in another run to lead the Yellowjackets.
 
After scoring twice in the doubleheader's first game, Gilmore scored another run in game-two and ended the day 3-6 with three runs scored and three more batted in.
 
Smith (3-0) pitched the complete game to earn the win on the mound while Erik Bastio suffered the loss to fall to 3-3 after going just 3.1 innings.
 
MSUB will be back in action at Dehler Park this weekend with a pair of Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheaders on Saturday, April 14 and Sunday, April 15. The Yellowjackets will be facing off against the Saints of Saint Martin's University with both days kicking off at 1 p.m.