Box Score 1 | Box Score 2                                             Bishop Interview                                         Muller Interview 


BILLINGS, Mont. - The Montana State University Billings Baseball team began their quest to qualify for the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament with two key wins against Northwest Nazarene University. 
 
The Yellowjackets took the first game of the day 17-8 (technically game three from the four game series played at NNU.  Rain postponed game three and four at NNU so the teams played two make up games today in Billings).  MSUB then won the second game (game four) 5-4. 
 
The two victories means that three teams are all in contention for the third and final playoff spot.  MSUB, NNU and Saint Martin's University all have an 11-17 GNAC record going into the final weekend of play.  MSUB will play four more games against NNU this weekend while Central Washington will host SMU in a four game series. 
 
GAME 3: NNU 8 MSUB 17
 
The game picked up in the top of the seventh inning with MSUB ahead 9-8.  The Yellowjackets started things off with a bang, scoring six runs in the inning to extend their lead 15-8.       
 
Trevor Nix hit a single to right field allowing Conner Holbrook to score from third base.  Luke Reinschmidt then stepped to the plate a blasted a double to right field scoring both Casey Merritt and Nix. 
 
Two batter later, Kevin Toon sailed his own double to right field which also allowed both Bret Bitow and Myles Berkram to score who was pitch-running for Reinschmidt.  
 
The final run of the inning came off the bat of Holbrook when he hit s single to the NNU shortstop allowing Brody Miller to score.
 
They Yellowjackets added two more insurance runs in the ninth inning.  Brad Birch hit a triple to left center field allowing Miller to score all the way from first base. Holbrook then drove a single to left field easily allowing Birch to trot across home plate.
 
NNU only managed five hits in the three innings played at Dehler Park.  Jake Mills shut down the NNU batters as he allowing just five hits and no runs while striking out two Crusaders and MSUB cruised to the 17-8 win.      
 
GAME FOUR: MSUB 5 NNU 4
 
In an intense pitcher dual, MSUB was able to squeeze across one more run and come away with win.  Brady Muller pitched a complete game for MSUB as did the NNU starting pitcher Aaron Vaughn. 
 
Vaughn came into the game third in the GNAC with an ERA of 3.32 while Muller was ranked 10th at 5.33. 
 
Neither team could muster much offense early as both pitchers came out on point.  Combined, the two teams had three hits through the first 2.5 innings.  It was not until the bottom of the third inning that a runner crossed home plate.
 
NNU scored just one run on two hits to get on the board first. 
 
MSUB answered right back when Nix hit a sacrifice fly to right field that allowed Birch to cross home plate and tie the game at 1-1. 
 
In the fourth inning, Casey Merritt hit a leadoff triple to left field and was then pushed across home on a Toon single up the middle to give MSUB the lead 2-1.
 
NNU retook the lead in the sixth inning scoring three runs on five hits to go up 4-2. 
 
With innings running out, MSUB had one final chance in the top of the seventh and they didn't disappoint.  Merritt again lead off with a single to left field.  The next batter, Bitow bombed a triple to left center allowing Merritt to score and cutting the NNU lead to 3-4.  Miller then provided a game tying double to left center pushing Bitow across home and brining the score even at 4-4.  Holbrook then hit a sacrifice fly to right field with just one out to give MSUB the lead after Miller crossed home.
 
Muller then came out and closed out the game as NNU went three up, three down with two pop ups and a strike out. 
 
"Our pitchers threw very well today," head coach Rob Bishop said.  "We have swung the bats well all year so it comes down to pitching and defense.  Two great wins today and this puts us even with SMU and NNU in the conference.  It comes down to who plays better on the field which is how you want it and we are excited about the chance to play our way into the post-season tournament." 
 
Game one of the four game home series for MSUB against NNU will begin at 1:00 PM tomorrow Friday May 2nd at Dehler Park.  Stats and live video can be found at MSUBSPORTS.COM.