BILLINGS, Mont. – Making its 2015 home debut in grand fashion, the Montana State University Billings baseball team hit six home runs and stormed to 11-8 and 9-4 victories over Great Northwest Athletic Opponent Saint Martin's University in a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Dehler Park.
 
Brady Muller was handed the ball to start Game 1, and proceeded to strike out the first seven Saints that he faced in a seven-inning, 10-strikeout effort. Muller allowed three runs on nine hits, and did not walk a batter as he earned his second victory of the season.
 
Senior second baseman Brody Miller hit two of MSUB's six home runs, all of which cleared the fence in right field at Dehler Park. Luke Reinschmidt, Bret Bitow, Kyle Durbin and Trevor Nix also each had home runs for the 'Jackets, who improved to 13-16 and 8-5 in GNAC play with the victories.
 
MSUB, which has won six games in-a-row, entered the day 3.5 games behind conference leading Western Oregon. The Wolves lost the first game of a doubleheader at Northwest Nazarene 7-5 and were scheduled to complete the Day 1-doubleheader starting at 6 p.m. Mountain time with a 7-inning game.
 
Despite losing both games, Saint Martin's (12-16, 6-8 GNAC) out hit the 'Jackets 26-21 on the day but left 17 runners on base. The Saints had five doubles in Game 1 and two more in Game 2.
 
"We scored twenty runs today and we scored almost all of them in three big innings," commented MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "One of our offensive game goals is to have a big inning, and doing whatever we need to do to keep the rally alive. Brady's stuff was great today, and no matter what he has, he always competes."
 
Game 1 – MSU Billings 11, Saint Martin's 8
 
The 'Jackets exploded for nine runs in the first two innings, which put the game out of reach despite an aggressive comeback effort by the Saints.
 
After Muller struck out the side in the first, Durbin plated MSUB's first run of the day with a double into left. Colter Sternhagen and Kevin Toon each followed with RBI-singles as MSUB jumped ahead 4-0.
 
The fireworks started in the second inning for the 'Jackets, as Miller lofted his sixth home run of the season over the fence after Bitow reached on a picture-perfect bunt single. Reinschmidt hit his team-leading eighth homer of the season three batters later, driving in three more runs and making the score 9-0.
 
With two outs and the bases loaded in the top of the third, Carl Svanevik came through with a two-run double to give the Saints a sign of life.
 
SMU tacked on another run in the fourth on an RBI-groundout by Blake Lord, as the Yellowjackets' bats went silent against reliever Trevor Young until the sixth inning. Miller lifted his second home run of the game to the identical location in right field, giving the 'Jackets an insurance run.
 
Facing reliever Jake Mills in the eighth, SMU pushed back with a pair of runs on singles by Kameron Banister and Lord. Reinschmidt's fourth RBI of the game put MSUB up 11-5 in the eighth, but the Saints refused to go down quietly.
 
Zack Raczok lined a two-run double into left center and Josh Sontag followed with an RBI-single to bring SMU within three runs. Mills locked in and struck out Bannister on three pitches however, finishing the game and giving MSUB its fifth-straight win.
 
Miller was 3-for-4 with three RBIs while Reinschmidt was 1-for-3 with four RBIs in Game 1. The Yellowjackets struck out just four times in Game 1, compared to 14 whiffs by SMU batters.
 
"We were just letting the ball get deep and driving it the other way," Miller said. "They were pitching us away the whole game and I just really worked on staying back and going with the pitch."
 
"I just felt comfortable overall with all of my pitches," Muller said regarding his standout performance. "Having a 9-0 lead makes everything easy, and it feels like not every pitch has to be perfect. Saint Martin's has always been a tough team that fights to the end and they never give up."
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 9, Saint Martin's 4
 
SMU loaded the bases with no outs in the first inning, threatening to score several runs right off the bat. MSUB starter Jake Campeau wiggled out of the jam however, striking out Chandler Tracy looking and using a key double play turned by Miller and Corey Morris to escape without giving up a run.
 
Bitow hit MSUB's fourth home run of the day in MSUB's first at bat against SMU starter Riley Moore, sending the ball over the fence in the same spot Miller and Reinschmidt found in Game 1.
 
Campeau sandwiched a fly out with a pair of strikeouts in the second inning, setting the stage for MSUB's largest single-inning outburst of the day.
 
After walking Reinschmidt and hitting Blake Loran, Moore struck out two batters and had Conner Holbrook in an 0-2 hole a strike away from getting out of the inning. MSUB's senior catcher blasted a huge two-run triple into the corner in right field however, sparking a seven-run rally that squandered any chance of an SMU comeback.
 
After Holbrook's crucial swing, Nix hit a three-run home run to make the score 8-0, after a fielding error by the Saints extended the inning further.
 
SMU chipped away with a run in the third on a Svanevik RBI, and two more in the fourth on hits by David Bellamy and Jake Husky to make it 8-3.
 
The teams traded runs over the next inning, as Durbin launched his second home run of the season in the bottom of the fourth and Blake Lord made the score 9-4 with an RBI-groundout in the top of the fifth.
 
The 'Jackets turned their fourth double play of the day to silence SMU in the sixth inning, and Adam Cox closed the door in the seventh to secure the win. After Tracy struck out looking to start the final inning, Morris made slick play for the second out of the inning. The junior ranged to his left, made a diving stop, and hopped up to throw out Bannister at first on a tough ball up the middle.
 
Campeau tossed 4 1/3 innings, allowing four runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and four walks. Lee Busto was perfect for 2/3 of an inning, and Lucas Blehm and Cox each tossed one to finish the day for MSUB.
 
Huskey was 3-for-4 with an RBI in Game 2 for SMU, and Bellamy collected a pair of hits for the Saints. Moore was tagged with the loss after allowing nine runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks in 3 2/3 innings. Ryan Dorney threw the final 2 1/3 for the Saints and did not allow a hit.
 
Bitow was the lone Yellowjacket with two hits in the second game, as MSUB utilized the big second inning to do the majority of its damage.
 
THE BUZZ: Miller and Reinschmidt entered the day as co-leaders in the GNAC in hits with 39 apiece, with Miller now leading at 43 and Reinschmidt at 41…Reinschmidt was also the GNAC leader in RBIs entering the game, and now has 32 on the season after his four in Game 1…Muller was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day, turning in a quality start after sitting out last week with an injury…the six-straight wins are the most for the 'Jackets since the 2012 season, when they swept a four-game set against Minot State before winning the first two against Central Washington from March 24-30…Bishop was honored in a pregame ceremony, as MSUB director of athletics Krista Montague presented him with a certificate commemorating his landmark 500th win achieved during last week's series at Northwest Nazarene…MSUB and Saint Martin's entered Friday's games as the co-GNAC Teams of the Week, as the Saints also picked up a four-game road sweep last week at Central Washington.
 
UP NEXT: The series concludes with a doubleheader on Saturday, with a 1 p.m. start time at Dehler Park.