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Highlights

Monmouth, Ore. – Adverse travel circumstances would prove to be too costly, as the Montana State Billings baseball team was out of sync and lost two straight contests in the inaugural Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship Tournament. The Yellowjackets have been eliminated from tournament play and conclude the 2013 season with an overall record of 21-27-1.
 
Game: MSUB  0 – #1 WOU  7
 
No. 1 seed Western Oregon performed as advertised, attacking MSU Billings early and keeping the pressure on for the entire contest. The Yellowjackets didn't help their cause, recording five errors in the event. It was a tough day at the plate for the hitters, as the Wolves kept MSUB off the scoreboard and only gave up three hits.
 
Spenser Watkins (W, 8-6) started for the opposition and was responsible for blanking the Jackets. He recorded a game high nine strikeouts in 8.0 innings on the mound. Brady Muller (L, 6-4) got the nod for MSUB and recorded three strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work.
 
Centerfielder Tim Rausch went a perfect 4-4 at the plate for Western Oregon and also recorded one run and one RBI. Blake Miller registered two RBIs in the match.
 
The Wolves scored five runs in the first three innings of play, and held a firm lead heading into the top of the fourth. While the Yellowjackets kept Western Oregon off the board between the fourth through sixth inning, they would not be able to get their offense going to compliment the defensive effort.
 
Western scored two more runs in the bottom of the seventh for good measure and closed out the event, winning 7-0.
 
“We ran into a hot pitcher in game one today; Watkins has been terrific all year and was again today,” stated third year head coach Rob Bishop. “Our guys competed but he kept us off balance all game. We were out of rhythm in game one and never really got any momentum.”
 
Game 2: MSUB  5 - #2 CWU  6
 
MSU Billings settled in and played well in the afternoon contest. Except for a six run inning by Central Washington, the Jackets controlled the majority of the game. An error in the fourth inning accounted for five unearned runs.
 
Samuel Paterson (L, 5-6) started for the Yellowjackets and battled tough for his 7.0 innings on the mound. He recorded five strikeouts and only allowed one earned run.
 
The hitting crew found their rhythm, with Brody Miller finishing 3-4 with two doubles, two runs and one RBI. Colby Robison finished with two RBIs in the contest, and Colter Sternhagen hit the game's only home run, his sixth of the year.
 
Skye Adams (W, 6-2), who during the team's travel to Monmouth had to be rushed to the hospital due to an allergic food reaction, gave a solid effort for the Wildcats and finished with six strikeouts in 6.0 innings. Kyle Sani had the best day at the plate for the opposition, finishing 2-4 with three RBIs.
 
Robison's double down the left line brought in Miller to score the game's first run, putting MSU Billings ahead 1-0 in the top of the first. Sternhagen later went yard, hitting a bomb over left center, to give the Yellowjackets the 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the fourth.
 
After he reached on a fielding error by Orrin Pyrah, Scott Stone later scored off a Joel Johnson single up the middle to give the Wildcats their first run of the contest. The error would prove to be the turning point in the game as Central Washington scored five more runs, all unearned, to take the 6-2 advantage after four complete innings.
 
The Jackets countered in the top of the fifth, with two runs to come within two of the Wildcats lead (6-4). MSUB held the opposition scoreless after the fourth inning and still trailed by two going into the final inning. Miller kept the Yellowjackets alive with a double that brought Bryce Todd across, cutting Central's lead to one (6-5). MSUB would not be able to continue this momentum as both batters after Miller would not be able to get on base. The Wildcats went on to capture the one run victory.
 
“We played well in game two with the exception of the one big inning that Central Washington had,” Bishop said. “We were able to bunch a few hits together after we made a defensive mistake. I am proud of our team for competing until the last pitch all year long. It was a tough day but we have nothing to hang our heads about.”
 
Central Washington and Western Oregon advance to the final which will be played Friday, May 10 at 12:00 p.m. (Pacific Time).