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BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State Billings baseball team came close Friday afternoon to earning the split with eighth-ranked Western Oregon University, but four runs in the seventh inning of game-two prevented the Yellowjackets (22-22, 13-17 GNAC) from earning the split with the Wolves (38-9, 27-3 GNAC). Western Oregon claimed the doubleheader 9-4 and 6-4 at Dehler Park.
 
Game One: WOU 9, MSUB 4
 
In the day's first game, the Yellowjackets struck first with a pair of runs in the first inning, taking advantage of a shaky start by WOU starter Grady Wood. Ty Gilmore led off for with a single up the middle before moving over to second base off a sacrifice bunt by Austin Rue. Senior Matt Comer then ripped a double to deep right-center field to move Gilmore around third and across the dish.
 
Brody Miller then singled to just past the shortstop with a blooper that gave Comer more than enough time to round third and head for home.
 
After holding the Wolves to two scoreless innings, the Yellowjackets' defense finally succumbed to the Wolves' potent offense and gave up two runs in both the third and fourth innings. Western Oregon would never look back, scoring three more runs in the seventh and another two in the ninth, even though MSUB continued to be a threat late.
 
MSUB tallied another pair of runs late in the eighth inning in a late rally, but it proved to be loot little, too late.
 
Blake Loran went 2-3 at the plate while both Miller and Comer recorded a pair of runs batted in.
 
Griff Boyd led the way at the plate in game-one for Western Oregon as he went 3-4 with four RBI and another two runs scored.
 
Senior Brian Hutchings, who normally starts the second game for MSUB, pitched six and two-thirds innings, striking out four batters, and accepted the loss on the mound to fall to 3-4 for the year. Despite his shaky start, Wood went on to complete seven innings to improve to 12-0 after fanning seven batters.
 
Game Two: WOU 6, MSUB 4
 
In Friday's second game, Western Oregon continued to ride the momentum they had in game-one, scoring a run in the first inning and then adding another in the top of the third to claim the early 2-0 lead.
 
But MSUB was not intimidated and came buzzing back to life in the bottom of the third with three runs off two hits. Junior shortstop Colby Robison first knocked in Justin Haracharik with a groundout to the second baseman before Miller singled to deep left field that allowed Comer and Austin Rue to score and give the Yellowjackets the lead.
 
In the bottom of the fourth stanza, Gilmore doubled down the left field line to score Haracharik and extend the lead to two runs, and MSUB appeared ready to cruise to the win, but starting pitcher Samuel Paterson and reliever Bobby Ragasa were unable to hold on in the seventh inning.
 
Paterson allowed two runners to reach base before Ragasa, normally known for his late-game prowess on the hill, struggled to control the batters and gave up a three-run homer to Blake Miller. Miller ended the game with four RBI and a 2-4 performance at the plate.
 
Ragasa was saddled with the loss to move to 4-1 while Ian MacDougall came in for the final inning to earn his third win of the season, improving to 3-2.
 
The two teams will reconvene at Dehler Park Saturday afternoon for their final regular-season doubleheader. The first pitch of game-one will be thrown out at 1 p.m., but prior to the start of the game, MSUB will celebrate “Senior Day” and recognize its six seniors with a presentation at 12:45 p.m.