NAMPA, Idaho – Daniel Cipriano hit three home runs and drove in seven runs on Saturday afternoon, but the Montana State University Billings baseball team lost both ends of a doubleheader against host No. 19 Northwest Nazarene University in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action at Vail Field.
 
Cipriano hit two three-run home runs in the opening game of the day, before adding another in the series finale to increase his MSUB career record total to 32. The Nighthawks out-paced the Yellowjackets 21-10 in the opener, before holding off a late MSUB push in Game 2 for an 11-6 win. MSUB is 0-12 on the season and started conference play with an 0-4 record.
 
"Hats off to the way Northwest Nazarene played – they played solid all weekend," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "I still believe in the group. We have a really good team, but we just didn't get it done on the mound. We gave up too many runs early, but I was proud of how we kept battling in Game 4. That mindset to keep grinding will help us down the line as we keep going through conference play."
 
Ethan Babcock-Barrie and Brayden Clark each hit their first collegiate home run, and Will Riley added his fifth of the season as the Yellowjackets finished with six long balls for the second straight day.
 
Shawn Grandmont matched Cipriano with two three-run home runs in the opener, while Colton Moore, John Gonzalez, and Kyle Payne each also homered for NNU on Saturday. The Nighthawks improved to 9-2 overall on the year and are now 4-0 in conference play.
 
Game 1 – No. 19 Northwest Nazarene 21, MSU Billings 10
 
Grandmont drilled a three-run home run in the bottom of the first inning, as the Nighthawks made a dropped fly ball hurt and took a 3-0 advantage.
 
Babcock-Barrie's two-run shot capped off a three-run second inning, as the Yellowjackets pulled the score even. Another defensive miscue by MSUB helped NNU plate two more runs in the bottom of the inning however, as the hosts went ahead 5-3. "Game 1 Ethan caught an outstanding game and had an offensive day," said Waddoups. "He got us back into that game, and I'm proud of what he's doing."
 
The Nighthawks' biggest inning of the game came in the bottom of the fifth, when they pushed across seven runs. Gonzalez led off with a home run, and Payne and Grandmont each had three-run homers in the inning to blow the game open 15-3.
 
NNU struck again with a five-run sixth inning, with a two-run single by Grant Kerry highlighting a frame that made the score 20-3.
 
NNU starter Shane Martin made it through six strong innings of work, allowing three runs on eight hits with one strikeout and two walks. Four Nighthawk relievers bridged the gap and finished the game out of the bullpen.
 
Cipriano's first three-run home run came in the seventh inning, as the Yellowjackets chipped into the deficit. The slugger hit another three-run shot in the eighth, as MSUB capped its scoring with a four-run inning to reach 10 runs in the ballgame.
 
Starting pitcher Dylan Barkley allowed eight runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and one walk in 3 1/3 innings of work. Four different Yellowjacket pitchers were used in relief to close out the opening game of the day.
 
Game 2 – Northwest Nazarene 11, MSU Billings 6 (7 Innings)
 
Despite a late rally by MSUB, NNU had a nine-run third inning which put any hope of a late comeback for the 'Jackets out of reach.
 
MSUB scored three runs in the fifth and three more in the sixth to get back into the game, but NNU closer Max Holtzclaw finished off the final 1 1/3 innings of the day with three strikeouts.
 
NNU's nine-run inning featured station-to-station baseball, with five walks drawn in the frame and five different players driving in runs. Isaac Hines, Cody Nisbet, and Moore each had two-run hits in the inning, as NNU pulled ahead 10-0 in the final game of the series.
 
Cipriano's third and final homer of the day was a solo shot in the fifth, coming two batters after Riley hit a solo homer to get MSUB on the board. Justin Lutz followed with an RBI-double, as MSUB showed signs of life after falling behind by 10.
 
Clark's first-career long ball was a solo shot in the sixth, and it preceded RBIs off the bats of Tanner Cantwell and Brandon Koszuth to bring the Yellowjackets within five.
 
MSUB starter Logan Siblerud allowed five runs on two hits with two strikeouts and five walks in his two innings of work. Dylan Johnson was MSUB's most effective pitcher in the game, closing out with one run allowed on five hits with three strikeouts and one walk over the final three frames. "Dylan came in Game 4, found the bottom of the zone, and was able to extend from there," Waddoups said. "He did an outstanding job of pitching for us. Logan had a really good start, but it just got away from us. He gave us a good chance to win."
 
For NNU, starter Ben Johnson gave up no runs on two hits with no strikeouts and one walk in 2 2/3 innings of work. Four Nighthawk relievers combined to finish the game and secure the win out of the bullpen.
 
THE BUZZ: Cipriano was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Cipriano matched his career single-game high in RBIs, which he also achieved on Feb. 22, 2020 against Colorado Mines…Game 1 was the sixth time in Cipriano's career he has hit two home runs in a game…MSUB is now 56-53 all-time against NNU and is 29-27 in road games.
 
COMING UP: The 'Jackets make their 2021 home debut next weekend, hosting Saint Martin's University in a four-game series at Dehler Park. Doubleheaders are set for March 19 and March 20, with live video available online here and live statistics available online here.