ST. GEORGE, Utah – The theme of the series had been big innings for Azusa Pacific, and it held true on Tuesday as the Cougars rallied for five runs in the eighth inning to overcome a 7-4 deficit and defeat Montana State University Billings 10-8 in a nonconference baseball matchup at Bruce Hurst Field.
 
The turning point came in the eighth, as a solo home run by Adrian Tovalin kicked off the five-run rally. Jordan Brower punched an RBI single into left field to tie the score at 7-7, and Ryan Santana cleared the bases with a three-run double two batters later to give the Cougars a three-run cushion.
 
Josh Grajeda was summoned from the APU bullpen to close the door, but his second save of the season was hard-earned as the 'Jackets came close to tying the score.
 
The 'Jackets put the tying run on first in the top of the ninth with two outs, after a base hit by Kyle Durbin brought home Bret Bitow. Stepping to the plate having already homered in the game, senior second baseman Brody Miller grounded out to second to end the game, and APU completed the three-game sweep of MSUB.
 
"I was encouraged by how our guys competed at the plate," said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "The big inning continues to hurt us however."
 
Luke Reinschmidt finished the game 3-for-6 and hit his third home run of the season, and Bitow and Miller each also hit home runs for the Yellowjackets (1-6).
 
Tanner Johnson had a quality start for the 'Jackets, allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and four walks in 6.0 solid innings. Lee Busto (0-3) took the loss after surrendering three runs on three hits in the Cougars' big inning, and Adam Cox retired the only two batters he faced to stop the eighth-inning rally.
 
"Tanner was terrific on the mound again for us today," Bishop commented on the junior.
 
After MSUB took the lead in each of the first two games of the series, it was APU's turn to jump in front with a run in the first and two more in the second.
 
The Yellowjackets got to work in the top of the fourth, as a single by Conner Holbrook pushed across Colter Sternhagen when the ball was mishandled in right field. MSUB pulled even in the next inning, when Reinschmidt led off with a solo blast and Sternhagen followed with an RBI-double to bring home Kevin Toon.
 
Johnson retired the side in order in the bottom of the fifth, and home runs by Bitow and Miller doubled MSUB's lead to 6-3.
 
Austin Shives helped the Cougars respond in the bottom of the sixth with a one-out single. Tovalin followed with a double to left center that brought the speedy shortstop all the way around from first as APU cut into the deficit with a run.
 
Keeping pace in the top of the seventh, the Yellowjackets took advantage of another APU error as Bitow beat out a ground ball with two outs that allowed pinch runner Myles Berkram to score.
 
A fielder's choice groundout by Santana in the seventh brought home Daniel Martin, pulling APU one run closer before the game-changing outburst in the eighth.
 
For the Cougars (8-2) Tovalin was 4-for-4 with three RBIs and had a double in addition to his home run. Santana and Brower each also had a pair of hits for APU, and the former drove in four runs. Starting pitcher Mike Fairchild tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits with three strikeouts and a walk. Reliever Joe Manzi (1-0) earned the victory, as he turned in 1 1/3 stellar innings with two strikeouts and one hit allowed.
 
The Yellowjackets out-hit the Cougars 16-15 in the game, and committed just one error compared to five by APU. Reinschmidt was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for his three-hit effort. MSUB's losing skid reached five games with the defeat.
 
RECORD WATCH: Miller, who began the season on the cusp of virtually every modern-day offensive record in the MSUB books (dating back to the 2006 season), topped the career marks in runs scored (99), home runs (15) and RBIs (115) in the series against APU. Miller is now second all-time in career hits with 195 (Matt Schoonover, 213), doubles with 33 (Colby Robison, 34), total bases with 275 (Matt Schoonover, 281), at-bats with 560 (Matt Schoonover, 585), and No. 3 all-time in assists with 358 (Matt Schoonover, 377).
 
In the context of the GNAC, Miller is now 10th in at-bats with 560, 16th in runs scored with 99, ninth in hits with 195, 15th in doubles with 33, seventh in RBIs with 115, 11th in total bases with 275, and fourth in assists with 358.
 
NEXT UP: MSUB returns to action on Thursday with a single game set for 6 p.m. against Dixie State. The 'Jackets then face the Red Storm in a 4 p.m. doubleheader on Friday, and will close the road trip with three games against Minot State from Saturday-Sunday.