Box Score 1 | Box Score 2

BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings baseball team dropped two games against Great Northwest Athletic Conference University opponent, Western Oregon University Friday afternoon.  The Wolves took game one 8-3 then escaped with a come from behind win in game two 6-4. 
 
GAME 1: MSUB 3 WOU 8  
 
The Wolves struck first scoring one run in the first inning.  Then used a five run inning in the fourth to extend their lead 6-0.  The Yellowjackets got on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Trevor Nix hit a ball hard to second base and force an error by the WOU short stop.  The error allowed Blake Loran to score from second base.
 
MSUB scored run number two when Steven DeYoung hit a deep fly ball to right field which was hit far enough to allow Brad Birch to tag and score from third base.  At the end of the innings MSUB had made a small dent in the Wolves lead and brought the score to 6-2.    
 
WOU added one more run in the seventh innings and one more in the eighth to bring their run total to eight.
 
The Yellowjackets managed one more run in the bottom of the ninth when Bret Bitow blasted a ball over the left field fence for his first homerun of the season.  But it was too little too late as WOU went on to win game one 8-3.
 
Brady Muller started from the mound in game one going 5.2 innings allowing 10 hits and six runs while striking out six batters. 
 
GAME 2: MSUB 4 WOU 6
 
The Wolves again opened up the scoring first when the pushed two runs across home plate in the top of the second inning.  Not to be out done, MSUB scored three runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead.  The first run came when Casey Merritt drove a ball deep to left field that allowed both Nix and Loran to cross home and tie the game at 2-2. 
 
Two batter later, Bitow hit a ball to far right field to score Conner Holbrook from third base and give the Yellowjackets the 3-2 lead. 
 
MSUB would lead for almost the rest of the game as they added one run in the fifth innings.  Luke Reinschmidt stepped to the belt and belted a double through the left side to lead off the inning. 
 
Bitow then hit a single to advance Reinschmidt to third base.  During Brody Miller's at bat, Bitow found himself in a pickle and as soon as the WOU pitcher through the ball to the first baseman, Reinschmidt took off headed for home and slid head first into home plate just beating the tag to give MSUB the 4-2 advantage. 
 
The Wolves then won the game in the top of the seventh inning when they scored 4 runs to take the lead 6-4.  MSUB's last gasp in the bottom of the inning was cut short as the Wolves defense allowed just one hit in four at bats and sealed the come from behind win 6-4.       
 
Matt Eames started game two and put in a great performance going 6.0 of 7.0 innings allowing just two runs on six hits and struck out two Wolves.   
 
"A tough day for our guys," head coach Rob Bishop said.  "We came back and played well in game two after playing poorly in game one.  Matt Eames pitched a great game and we didn't get the job done closing it out.  We will come back ready to compete tomorrow." 
 
The Yellowjackets fall to 9-21 overall and 6-10 in the GNAC.  WOU improves to 22-14 overall and 15-7 in the GNAC.  Game three will begin at 12:00 PM tomorrow, Sat. April 12th followed by game four.  Live stats can be found at MSUBSPORTS.COM.