BILLINGS, Mont. – Splitting a Great Northwest Athletic Conference baseball doubleheader for the second straight day at Dehler Park, Montana State University Billings and Northwest Nazarene University each won an end of Saturday's doubleheader.
 
"I was really proud of how our guys responded to some early adversity," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "Carson Green was really clutch and drove in some big-time runs for us in the middle innings in Game 1."
 
Carson Green went 5-for-9 with seven RBIs out of the leadoff spot in the doubleheader, on a big day at the plate that included his third home run of the year and a career-high five RBIs in Game 1. James Anderson went 4-for-8 with three doubles, and Tyler Godfrey was 3-for-7 while making 18 plays at second base throughout the doubleheader. MSUB kept its record at an even .500, moving to 15-15 overall and 6-6 in conference play with Saturday's split.
 
Parker Price went 4-for-7 and had NNU's lone home run of the day hitting in the leadoff spot for the visitors, as he drove in four runs in the doubleheader. Ryan Dearing was 4-for-7 at the plate, and Walker Moore drove in three runs in the series finale. NNU remained in first place in the conference standings, improving to 19-13 overall and 11-5 in league play.


The Yellowjackets tied the school record for double plays turned in a game in both ends of Saturday's doubleheader, turning four double plays in each game to bring their total to 12 double plays turned in the four-game series. Godfrey was involved in all 12 double plays at second base.
 
Game 1 – MSU Billings 11, Northwest Nazarene 6
 
Price hit the second pitch thrown by MSUB starter Jackson Betancourt over the fence in left field, and after the top of the fourth inning momentum laid in the hands of NNU which led 4-1. The Nighthawks plated three runs in the fourth to take the lead, before right-hander Michael Buchanan entered the game and stopped the bleeding by stranding two runners with two consecutive outs.
 
Like they did in the opening game of the series, the Yellowjackets strung together five consecutive successful innings offensively highlighted by a five-run fourth inning which proved to be the difference in Game 3 of the series. MSUB plated its 11 runs on 12 hits, and stranded just six runners while limiting its strikeouts to five in the game.
 
The difference came in the bottom of the fourth, when Anderson led off with a single and eight batters later MSUB had a 6-4 advantage. Green had the biggest hit of the inning – a two-out, bases-clearing double that turned a 4-3 deficit into the Yellowjackets' first lead of the day.
 
Duke Pahukoa led off the top of the fifth with a double, and the Nighthawks threatened to pull even putting runners on first and second with only one out. Tyler Elliott started his outing by coaxing an inning-ending double play off the bat of Quentin Ayers, and went on to allow just two runs on three hits over the final 4 2/3 innings to earn his third victory of the season. "Michael Buchanan pitched us out of a jam in the middle of the game, and Elliott was outstanding in the late innings to secure the win," Waddoups said.
 
Three different Yellowjackets had RBIs over the next two frames to bolster the lead to 9-5, and Green drilled a two-run homer over the fence in right in the bottom of the seventh to dampen NNU's hopes at a comeback.
 
NNU starter Spencer Schwehr was saddled with the loss, allowing six runs – one earned – on six hits with two strikeouts and a walk in four innings of work. Joseph Ihli threw the middle three innings allowing five runs on six hits, and Nick Irwin tossed a perfect eighth to finish the game on the hill for NNU.
 
Game 2 – Northwest Nazarene 12, MSU Billings 5 (7 Innings)
 
The Nighthawks jumped on reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Week Connor Redmond, scoring eight times in the first three innings to run away with the series finale.
 
Back-to-back doubles by Tyler Best and Ryan Payne made the score 3-0 after the top of the second, but the Yellowjackets showed signs of life as they rallied in the bottom of the frame. After NNU starter Haden Keller retired the first two hitters, AJ Wagenmann blasted a 2-0 pitch into the gap in left-center to give MSUB its first baserunner of the game. Green and Justin Lutz followed with RBI-singles, as MSUB pieced together a pair of runs to pull within one.
 
The decisive frame was the top of the third however, as NNU scored four times during a lengthy frame that sucked the life out of the hosts. Four walks and an error aided the Nighthawks in their biggest inning of the day, while a double play turned by Godfrey up the middle got the 'Jackets out of the jam down 8-2.
 
MSUB got one run back in the bottom of the inning, but Keller and reliever Blake McFadden did enough to keep the spread comfortable throughout the game for NNU. Keller allowed three runs on six hits with five strikeouts and three walks in 3 2/3 innings, while McFadden claimed the win allowing two runs on two hits with five strikeouts and a walk in 2 1/3 innings.
 
Redmond gave up seven runs on four hits with one strikeout and three walks, and the Yellowjacket staff struggled with command issuing eight free passes while striking out just one in Game 2. Brooks Zimmer was the most effective, holding NNU without a hit over the final 1 1/3 innings of the game.
 
Green capped his career day at the plate with an RBI-double in the bottom of the sixth, and Godfrey drove in MSUB's final run of the day with a two-out knock to bring Green home from second.
 
The Yellowjackets struck out 13 times and left 10 men on base in the finale, while NNU stranded just five runners in the solid response to its Game 1 defeat. "Game 2 just got away from us as we allowed too many freebies defensively and as a pitching staff," Waddoups said. "We showed we can play and score runs with anyone. We just need to keep playing clean baseball."
 
THE BUZZ: Green was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…his previous single-game best was four RBIs, which he achieved on four previous occasions…MSUB had turned four double plays in a game on four previous occasions, with the most recent being May 10, 2018 against Western Oregon…the 'Jackets finished one away from the GNAC record of five double plays in a game, set by Western Oregon on May 12, 2012 against the Yellowjackets…MSUB is now 57-60 all-time against NNU and is 28-30 in games played in Billings.
 
NEXT WEEK: The Yellowjackets hit the road for a four-game series at Central Washington University running April 1-2 in Ellensburg, Wash. Live coverage for next week's games will be available online here.