BILLINGS, Mont. – Matthew Houlihan authored a one-hit shutout late Thursday night at Dehler Park, striking out a career-high 11 hitters to help the Montana State University Billings baseball team salvage a doubleheader split against Great Northwest Athletic Conference foe Saint Martin's University.
 
The Yellowjackets (21-19, 12-10 GNAC) used Mitch Winter's fifth home run of the year to win the nightcap 2-0, after the Saints scored five runs in the ninth inning of their 11-5 triumph in the series opener. "Game 1 was disappointing, and we had our opportunities there to blow the game open," said MSUB head coach Derek Waddoups. "One of the things I love about this group is that we just keep fighting. We keep bouncing back, and they believe in each other."
 
Houlihan struck out the side in the top of the seventh inning, completing the best start of his MSUB career with 109 pitches in the game. "My mindset has been the same during the last three starts," said Houlihan, who earned his team-leading fifth victory of the season. "It's not about velocity or anything – it's just about throwing strike one every time. I felt pretty good, and like I could command my fastball and my of-speed around the zone."
 
The Saints, the reigning GNAC Team of the Week, moved to 14-24 overall and to 9-12 in conference play with Thursday's split.


 
Game 1 – Saint Martin's 11, MSU Billings 5
 
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning, Cooper Dulich sent a sharp ground ball up the middle that appeared destined for center field. Instead of plating a pair of runs to give the Yellowjackets the lead, second baseman Drew Forgione – who was shaded towards the bag – snared the ground ball and just beat James Anderson – who was running on the 3-2 pitch – to the bag to keep SMU in front 6-5.
 
The Saints used the momentum to score five times in the top of the ninth to seal the victory. SMU stole four bases in the game, while capitalizing on five wild pitches and two passed balls by the Yellowjackets. Saint starter Finnley Butler turned in a quality outing, allowing three runs on four hits with three strikeouts and five walks in 6 1/3 innings of work.
 
Aaron Nease – who inherited the bases-loaded situation in the eighth – recorded the final four outs to earn his first save of the season.
 
After the Saints scored two runs in the top of the seventh, including one on a balk, the Yellowjackets wrestled momentum back with a four-run seventh inning to take their first lead of the day. Carson Green produced a sacrifice fly in the inning, and the 'Jackets took advantage of three SMU errors and a wild pitch to move ahead 5-4.
 
SMU responded immediately however, when Mark Steward punched an RBI-single to center to tie the game and DJ Akiyama scored on a wild pitch with two outs to give the Saints the lead for good in the top of the eighth.
 
Reid Little plated the first run of the day on a ground out in the top of the first, before Hunter Kosmider came through with an RBI-single after an error prolonged the fifth inning. That was all the damage that MSUB ace Dylan Barkley allowed in a quality start, as he gave up four runs – three earned – on eight hits with two strikeouts and no walks in 6 1/3 innings pitched.
 
Tyler Godfrey finished 2-for-3 and walked twice in the opener, but the Yellowjackets stranded 12 runners on base in a game of missed scoring opportunities.
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 2, Saint Martin's 0 (7 Innings)
 
SMU ace Justice Yamashita struck out the first five hitters he faced, before PJ Ausmus worked a full count and drew a walk with two outs in the bottom of the second. The pesky at-bat prolonged the inning for Winter, who blasted a 1-0 fastball over the fence in right field to put the 'Jackets ahead. "Last series they tried to bust me in, and I kind of knew that was going to happen again," said Winter, whose home run came on an inside fastball. "I was struggling a little bit earlier in the season, so I'm just happy to be back out here doing it for the boys."


 
The big swing of the bat was enough to support Houlihan, who was nearly flawless in his 11th start of the season. "The guy has been solid all year in clutch situations," Houlihan said regarding Winter. "For Mitch to come up with a swing like that was a big deal. All props to him."
 
Houlihan matched Yamashita's early dominance, striking out six hitters over his first three innings of work. Steward had SMU's lone hit of the ball game, squaring up a 2-0 pitch that caught the top of the strike zone and lining it into left field with one out in the top of the third. It was the lone hard-hit ball of the night off Houlihan. "He has grown a lot this year in terms of maturity and confidence, and he has really trusted his process," Waddoups said. "One thing we talk a lot about is knowing who we are and to keep pitching to our strengths. He did a great job of that today, and he's been able to minimize those big innings."
 
Yamashita worked around a leadoff single by Dominick Buso in the third, and received an assist from his battery mate as Steward mowed down Hayden Foltz trying to steal second to end the frame.
 
SMU's best chance to get on the board came in the fourth inning, when Houlihan's command temporarily wavered and he walked the bases loaded. Bearing down to get out of the jam, the right-hander dug deep and struck out Akiyama on a 1-2 pitch in the dirt which catcher AJ Wagenmann blocked to strand the bases full. "He really commanded it and composed himself," Waddoups said on Houlihan. "He had that one middle inning where he got out of trouble and put up a zero, and he really just cruised from there."
 
The Saints managed just one more baserunner the rest of the night – a walk in the fifth inning – as Houlihan gained momentum and retired the final seven hitters that he faced. Saving his best inning for last, and entering the top of the seventh 97 pitches into his outing, Houlihan struck out the side on 12 pitches to emphatically end the game with his first-ever double-digit strikeout performance. "We were on the bubble there of whether to let him go back out, but he came out and that was probably his cleanest and best inning," Waddoups said on Houlihan's masterful seventh frame of work.
 
"It was awesome, and I love the dude," Winter said on Houlihan's performance. "I love his energy on the mound, and I can't wait to see him pitch more."
 
Yamashita suffered a tough defeat despite a stellar outing, as he too struck out 11 while scattering four hits and throwing 97 pitches. Like Houlihan, Yamashita gained strength as the game progressed evidenced by striking out five of the final six hitters that he faced. "Both of them pitched really great, but Houlihan was just a little bit better," Waddoups said. "That's just a great baseball game is what it boils down to."
 
Ausmus's key walk was one of just two free passes that Yamashita issued, on a night where he possessed dominant stuff. "He's a great pitcher," said Winter, who had two of MSUB's four hits off the SMU ace. "He has a lot of movement, and really it's just sitting back and waiting for your pitch. That's what we all have to do."
 
"PJ right before (Mitch) grinded out an at-bat that wound up in a walk, and that gave us a little momentum there," said Waddoups. "Mitch just barreled it up, and luckily it snuck out and gave us two runs."
 
THE BUZZ: Houlihan was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…his previous career high was nine strikeouts, which he achieved during his 9-inning complete game against Colorado Mesa on Feb. 18…it was the first shutout by an MSUB pitcher since Jarrod Molnaa tossed a three-hit shutout in the Yellowjackets' 6-0 win over Saint Martin's on March 24, 2019 in Lacey, Wash.
 
NEXT UP: The teams face a quick turnaround, with the series concluding on Friday morning with an 11:30 a.m. doubleheader. Live coverage will be available online here.