LACEY, Wash. – After taking the opening game of its Great Northwest Athletic Conference series 6-5, the Montana State University Billings baseball team battled host Saint Martin's University to the score of 3-2 before Game 2 was put on hold Thursday evening at the SMU baseball field.
 
The series will conclude on Friday, with the resumption of Game 2 in the top of the sixth inning at 10:30 a.m. before the final doubleheader of the series scheduled to follow immediately afterwards.
 
The Yellowjackets improved to 6-23 overall and are now 6-15 in conference play after their Game 1 victory on Thursday. Saint Martin's meanwhile fell to 6-19 overall and is 4-16 in GNAC games with the defeat. "Game 1 was a fantastic comeback, and our guys showed a lot of heart," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "Our guys just grinded out at-bats, and it was awesome to see."
 
Game 1 – MSU Billings 6, Saint Martin's 5 (7 Innings)
 
Arpan delivered a pinch-hit three-run double that proved to be the most important swing of the bat in the series opener. It highlighted a four-run top of the seventh inning, as the Yellowjackets overcame a 3-2 deficit and withstood the Saints' rally in the bottom of the inning.
 
An RBI-triple by Cody Chavis was followed by an RBI-single off the bat of Griffin Williams, as the Saints pulled within one with only one out in the last of the seventh. SMU managed to put runners on the corners, before MSUB reliever Sterling Lay ended the game emphatically with a strikeout to strand the tying run 90 feet from home plate.
 
The Saints took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning, on a two-run single from Williams. MSUB starter Logan Siblerud was solid after that, allowing just one more run in getting through five innings of work. The right hander had a pair of strikeouts, while battling through eight walks and scattering five hits. Lay did the rest, earning the win with three strikeouts and two runs allowed in his two innings of relief.
 
The Yellowjackets pulled even midway through the game, thanks to the sixth home run of the year off the bat of Tanner Cantwell in the third and an RBI-ground out by Sam Powers in the fourth. SMU responded in the bottom of the inning however, when Cody Isa ripped an RBI-single down the right-field line to put the Saints ahead until the eventful seventh inning.
 
Chavis led the Saints with a 3-for-4 line while Williams was 2-for-3 with three RBIs.
 
Tanner Inouye took a tough loss, allowing four of his six runs in the final frame while striking out nine and walking two in his 6 2/3 innings of work on the mound. The senior right-hander threw 137 pitches, allowing seven hits.
 
"We played good defense and put it all together, and it was exciting to see the clutch, pinch-hit at-bat from Arpan," Waddoups said.
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 3, Saint Martin's 2 (Halted, Top 6)
 
The second game of the doubleheader was halted due to darkness, and will be resumed at 10 a.m. on Friday morning.
 
THE BUZZ: Arpan was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Daniel Cipriano made his season debut at first base Thursday.
 
AHEAD: The series concludes on Friday, with Game 2 action set to resume at 10:30 a.m. The final two games of the series will follow, with live video available online here and live statistics available online here.