Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

ELLENSBURG, Wash. – Still in the thick of the hunt for second-place in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, the Montana State Billings baseball team gave itself a boost Friday afternoon as the Yellowjackets (21-19, 12-14 GNAC) claimed a league-doubleheader over Central Washington University (16-28, 8-18 GNAC) 6-2 and 7-5.
 
“Our guys played great today in both games,” stated head coach Rob Bishop. “Brian Hutchings, Samuel Paterson and Bobby Ragasa all helped set the tone for us on the mound and that carried over. We also had many big hits on offense to help us claim these couple of great team wins.”
 
Game One: MSUB 6, CWU 2
 
In the day's first game, the Yellowjackets and Wildcats swapped two-runs in the second inning before MSUB was able to claim the lead for good in the top of the fifth.
 
Austin Rue led off the inning with a walk before Matt Comer singled up the middle followed by Colby Robison walking to load the bases. Brody Miller then batted in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to right field.
 
Blake Loran, Mack Unruh and Justin Harcharik would all record single RBI's with two outs registered to give MSUB the final 6-2 score.
 
Harcharik went 3-4 at the dish to lead MSUB with an RBI while Unruh recorded three RBI in a 2-4 outing.
 
Samuel Paterson pitched the first six and two-thirds innings to record the win on the hill for MSUB while Bobby Ragasa came in for the final two and a third innings. Paterson struck out eight batters and gave up just five hits while Ragasa gave up just two hits.
 
Alex Bushman was CWU's second of three pitchers and accepted the loss for the Wildcats in just two and two-thirds innings of work.
 
Game Two: MSUB 7, CWU 5
 
In the day's second game, the Wildcats moved out to a 4-2 lead by the fourth inning that included a three-run bottom of the first, but MSUB would tie the game up in the sixth off a pair of runs, one of which was unearned.
 
The game, which was originally scheduled to go just seven innings, would continue on scoreless into the ninth frame when the Yellowjackets moved three runners across the dish to go up 7-4. Comer doubled to right-center field to score Rue and Ty Gilmore before Robison sent a sacrifice fly to right field that gave Comer enough time to safely streak home.
 
The Wildcats were able to get one run back in the bottom of the inning, but could pull no closer.
 
This time, Miller went 3-5 with a run scored while Loran went 2-3 with a pair of RBI. Rue scored twice in the second game while Comer and Robison added another two batted in as the Yellowjackets also took advantage of four CWU errors.
 
Brian Hutchings pitched the first six and two-thirds innings for MSUB, retiring eight batters, before Ragasa came in to record the win. Ragasa is now a perfect 4-0 on the season after giving up just one hit and fanning four batters.
 
Tanner Knutson accepted the loss on the mound for the Wildcats, giving up three hits and three runs, but just one earned.
 
The pair of squads will be back in action on the diamond tomorrow for a noon twinbill.