WALNUT, Calif. – Plating 10 runs in an inning for the third time in program history, the Montana State University Billings baseball team scored early and never looked back on its way to a 19-8 triumph over Cal State Los Angeles in Sunday's series finale at Mazmanian Field.
 
The Yellowjackets rallied for 10 runs in the second inning, and were never in jeopardy of surrendering the advantage as they improved to 2-2 on the season. "I loved how the guys bounced back after yesterday," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups, after Saturday's 15-5 defeat in Game 2 of the doubleheader. "It started with Red on the mound, and he was filling up the zone. He had good stuff today. We put the ball in play more often, started the big inning well, and it snowballed for us in a good way."
 
Connor Redmond earned the victory in his first start of the season, tossing five strong innings with two runs allowed on five hits. The senior right-hander had a grip on his command from the start and pitched well to contact, finishing with a pair of strikeouts and zero walks. "Connor threw a lot of first-pitch strikes, commanded and competed in the zone, and made them put the ball in play," said Waddoups. "We played good defense behind him, and he did a good job establishing the strike zone and attacking today."
 
Tyler Godfrey hit the Yellowjackets' first home run of the season, while Dominick Buso went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a pair of runs scored. True freshmen Cooper Dulich and Bodee Wright each drove in three runs, and Justin Lutz scored three times to lead a collection of seven different 'Jackets that scored multiple runs in the game.
 
The disastrous second inning started with an ominous sign for the Golden Eagles, as first baseman Drew Emmons had a routine pop up fall out of his glove. It marked the first of six consecutive Yellowjackets to reach base, and MSUB led 6-0 before CSULA recorded the first out of the inning. Four different Yellowjackets had RBIs in an inning that also featured four walks, a hit batter, and 14 total hitters. "We took quality at-bats up and down the lineup, and guys stepped up and put pressure on them throughout the game," said Waddoups. "When they'd score we answered, and we kept extending the lead. Collectively as a group the guys stepped up, and we had some big at-bats off the bench too."
 
Eagle starter Colby Davis was driven from the game after surrendering eight runs on four hits with three walks and no strikeouts. Dylan Needham was the most effective of the five pitchers used by the hosts, as he age up four innings and struck out nine hitters in relief. CSULA slipped to 2-2 on the season with the loss.
 
CSULA managed to get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the second, but a sacrifice fly off the bat of Emmons produced the lone run of the frame to make the score 10-1.
 
The Yellowjackets never lost command after building the early lead, and continued to add on as the game progressed. MSUB scored two more in the fourth, before adding four more in the sixth to put the game out of reach. Ethan Babcock-Barrie delivered a two-run double, and Godfrey followed with his first home run in a Yellowjacket uniform in the next at-bat.
 
The Eagles got three runs back in the bottom of the sixth, as Emmons crushed a three-run home run over the fence in right field. The hosts managed three more runs in the eighth inning, but by then the game was far out of reach. Gerardo Castaneda went 3-for-4 while Emmons finished with four RBIs to lead CSULA.
 
THIRD 10-RUN INNING: Sunday marked the third time in program history MSUB has scored 10 runs in an inning, with all three occurrences coming in the last five seasons. The Yellowjackets first achieved the feat with a 10-run fifth inning on April 27, 2018, in a 14-8 win over Saint Martin's. MSUB repeated the record the following season against the same opponent in the same inning, on their way to a 19-5 win over SMU on April 6, 2019.
 
10-Run Innings, Yellowjacket Baseball History (since 2006)

Date	Opponent	Runs	Inning	Final Score
2/6/22	Cal State Los Angeles	10	2	W, 19-8
4/6/19	Saint Martin's	10	5	W, 19-5
4/27/18	Saint Martin's	10	5	W, 14-8

THE BUZZ: Buso was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Godfrey's home run was the third of his collegiate career, after he hit two during his stint at Luna College in 2020…MSUB is now 2-2 all-time against CSU Los Angeles…the 19 runs scored equaled the Yellowjackets' highest total from the 2021 season, when they topped Saint Martin's 19-8 on April 23, 2021.
 
NEXT WEEK: The Yellowjackets remain in Southern California and begin a four-game series at Cal Poly Pomona on Thursday. Live coverage for the series against the Broncos will be available online here.