MONMOUTH, Ore. – Jared McDonald hit a two-out, three-run, walk-off home run to send Western Oregon University to a come-from-behind 8-6 win over the Montana State University Billings baseball team in Game 1 of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at the WOU Baseball Field Saturday.          
 
It was the second straight game that MSUB lost on a three-run, walk-off home run, as No. 20 Dixie State claimed last weekend's series in identical fashion. MSUB is now 0-10 on the season, while Western Oregon moved to 4-0.
 
"I thought our guys responded well in Game 2," said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. "We got ourselves back into it after an atrocious inning. We will look to try to even the series tomorrow."
 
Game 2, which was halted due to darkness after six innings, was completed on Sunday morning with the Wolves holding on for an 8-6 win. McDonald had another three-run home run in the second game, as he drove in six total in the doubleheader.
 
Game 1 – Western Oregon 8, MSU Billings 6
 
McDonald tattooed the first pitch he saw from Sam Muskat over the fence in right-center, prompting a celebration at home plate as the Wolves walked off with the victory.
 
The Yellowjacket lefty was on a roll into the ninth inning, putting up zeroes through his first three complete innings of the day. But Derek Maiben started the four-run inning with a leadoff double, and Collin Runge and Griffey Halle each delivered two-out hits before McDonald's decisive swing of the bat.
 
Steen Fredrickson took the no-decision, after striking out five and walking three while allowing four runs on six hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.
 
Alex Roth meanwhile gave up no runs on two hits in five innings, while striking out seven and walking three. Dylan Myers earned his first win of the year, as he put up zeroes in his 1 2/3 innings of work to keep the Wolves within striking distance late.
 
Roth and Fredrickson, the reigning GNAC co-Pitchers of the Year, matched one another zero-for-zero through the first three innings of play.
 
Western Oregon struck first, when Runge trotted home on a wild pitch in the bottom of the fourth inning. The Wolves had a chance for more with two on and two out in the frame, but Fredrickson won a six-pitch battle against Justin Wakem and recorded a fly out.
 
The Yellowjackets made their move against the reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year in Kolbe Bales, as they roughed the lefty up for five runs while he recorded just one out in the sixth inning. Four walks and an error assisted the 'Jackets in scoring five total times in the frame, and Blake Bell had a two-out, pinch-hit, RBI-single as well.
 
Bales was coming off a 2018 season during which he carried a 1.12 earned run average with 16 strikeouts and six walks in 24.0 innings pitched.
 
The Wolves responded with three runs in the bottom of the sixth however, as they drove Fredrickson from the game after 102 pitches. Wakem drew a bases-loaded walk, and Maiben came through with a two-run single to left that made it a 5-4 ballgame.
 
Andrew Schleusner led off the top of the eighth with a double to left, and Conner Linebarger gave the 'Jackets an insurance run with a two-out RBI-knock into right field.
 
Muskat came within a strike of completing the save, before Runge fought off a 2-2 pitch to keep the inning going.
 
The Yellowjackets left nine men on base in the game, while Western Oregon stranded just six in the come-from-behind win. Runge finished 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Maiben was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
 
Linebarger went 3-for-5 in the opener, and Jalen Garcia and Daniel Cipriano had two hits apiece.
 
Game 2 – Western Oregon 8, MSU Billings 6 (7 Innings)
 
Western Oregon did all its damage with an eight-run third inning that featured three of the Yellowjackets' five errors in the game. McDonald's second three-run home run of the day highlighted the big inning, which proved to be enough to deal the Yellowjackets their 10th straight loss.
 
Dylan Barkley was saddled with the loss as he gave up all eight runs, but only three of them were earned as the defense let him down. He had four strikeouts and a pair of walks, while giving up five hits in his 2 1/3 innings of work.
 
Jared Winslow and Sterling lay combined to allow just two baserunners over the final 3 2/3 innings, and the Yellowjackets had a chance to come back late.

Trailing 8-3 after four innings, the 'Jackets made some noise with a three-run fifth to get back into the game. Chris Arpan and Blake Bell had RBI-doubles, while Matt Dillon had a run-scoring single to bring the score to 8-6.
 
Play was halted due to darkness after Winslow responded with a 1-2-3 bottom of the fifth inning, and upon the new day Connor McCord was summoned to the mound for a six-out save opportunity. The lefty shook off a leadoff walk in the top of the sixth, and worked around the baserunner with a pair of strikeouts. MSUB brought the tying run to the plate when Dillon drew a one-out walk in the seventh, but Bell hit into a game-ending double-play.
 
WOU starter Austin Crowson earned the win, giving up three runs on five hits with four strikeouts and three walks in four full innings pitched on Saturday. The Wolves needed just five hits to score their eight runs, and left only four runners on base in an efficient performance. MSUB meanwhile stranded seven runners in the game.
 
The Yellowjackets had an early lead, when Andrew Schleusner punched an RBI-single to right in the second and Jalen Garcia hit his second home run of the year in the third to make it 3-0. MSUB never recovered from WOU's eight-run frame however, and the Wolves saw out the win playing error-free defense.
 
THE BUZZ: Linebarger was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…MSUB is now 23-71 all-time against WOU and is 10-30 in games played in Monmouth…Fredrickson moved to No. 4 in MSUB history in strikeouts, as he now has 132 and passed Tanner Johnson (130)…next on the list is Brian Howe, who racked up 143 strikeouts from 2008-11...Game 1 marked the third time this year MSUB has lost on a walk-off hit in the opponent's final at-bat.
 
NEXT UP: The series concludes Sunday, with another doubleheader scheduled for noon Pacific time. Live video and live statistics will be available for Sunday's games, through the MSUB Stretch Internet portal online here.