RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Tanner Johnson threw eight strong innings, striking out seven and allowing just six hits as he led the Montana State University Billings baseball team to a come-from-behind 6-3 victory over host Cal Baptist Friday evening at Totman Stadium.
 
Brody Miller finished the game 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored, and became the Yellowjackets' all-time leader in hits with his second of the night. He broke Matt Schoonover's mark of 213, as his double in the fifth moved him to the top of MSUB's list.
 
With the victory the Yellowjackets snapped a three-game losing streak and improved to 6-13 on the season. Cal Baptist fell to 8-9 with the loss, which was credited to Travis Booth (0-1) after allowing two runs in 2/3 of an inning.
 
Johnson (1-0) earned his first win and walked just two of the 35 batters that he faced. The junior right hander pitched to contact well, collecting 14 groundouts and allowing just one extra-base hit to the Lancers.
 
For the strong start, Johnson was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game. Freshman Adam Cox came on in relief, pitching a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout to close the door.
 
"We have been playing well enough to win lately so I am glad to see our guys get rewarded with a W tonight," said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. "Tanner and Adam were exceptional tonight and our defense was solid behind them. Brody had a great game and has certainly earned a place in the MSUB record books. I am really happy for him."
 
CBU starter Jeremy McDonald struck out the side in the first inning, and fanned five of the first seven he faced overall.
 
Miller lifted a sacrifice fly to left to help MSUB break through in the top of the third and take a 1-0 lead.
 
The Lancers bounced back in the bottom of the frame, as a single to center by Antonio Chavarria plated two and a line drive down the line in right off the bat of Taylor Wetzel helped CBU's third baseman score all the way from first.
 
MSUB had a good opportunity as Kyle Durbin drew a walk to load the bases in the fourth, but an ensuing ground out ended the inning and the score remained 3-1, Lancers.
 
After leading off the fifth with a double to left, Miller moved over to third on a fly out by Trevor Nix. Colter Sternhagen plated MSUB's senior second baseman to pull MSUB within one, 3-2.
 
The 'Jackets took advantage of a pair of fielding errors by CBU in the next inning, as a groundout by Durbin evened the score at 3-3. Nix had another productive at bat, giving MSUB the lead as his single into left scored Luke Reinschmidt.
 
No Lancer advanced past second base after the fourth inning, as Johnson worked into a groove and Cox finished perfectly. The 'Jackets added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, as a single by Myles Berkram brought home Sternhagen and Landon Peterson plated another with a sacrifice fly to left.
 
MSUB benefitted from six CBU errors, as only one of the Yellowjackets' runs was earned. The Lancers left eight runners on base while the Yellowjackets stranded 13.


MSUB Career Hits Leaders

Rank	Name	Hits	Years Played
1	Brody Miller	214	2012-15
2	Matt Schoonover	213	2007-10
3	Colby Robison	168	2011-13
4	Jeff Ridgeway	131	2008-11
5	Austin Rue	105	2011-13

AHEAD: The series wraps up at noon Mountain time on Saturday with a single nine-inning game. The Yellowjackets then resume Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with road games against Western Oregon on March 13 and 14, and against Northwest Nazarene on March 20 and 21.