NAMPA, Idaho – On its opening day of conference play, the Montana State University Billings baseball team was swept in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader by host Northwest Nazarene University at Vail Field on Thursday.
 
The Yellowjackets (6-10, 0-2 GNAC) dropped the opening game 6-5 in 12 innings before the Nighthawks pulled away late in Game 2 for a 14-5 triumph. Northwest Nazarene improved to 10-13 overall and 4-2 in conference play with the two victories.
 
Kaden Kirshenbaum went 4-for-10 with three RBIs in the doubleheader, and hit his fourth and fifth home runs of the season in Game 2.
 
Game 1 – Northwest Nazarene 6, MSU Billings 5 (12 Innings)
 
A wild pitch after a leadoff triple by Brexton Clubb in the bottom of the 12th spelled the end to a gut-wrenching series opener for the Yellowjackets, who watched the Nighthawks score in the bottom of the ninth and the bottom of the 10th to keep the game alive.
 
MSUB led 4-3 with one out in the bottom of the ninth, before NNU put runners on first and second. Adam Paganelli delivered the first game-saving hit of the day for the hosts, with an RBI-single to bring home Mason Leavitt and tie the score at 5-5. Yellowjacket reliever Cy Miller buckled down with the winning run in scoring position, getting the game to extra innings with back-to-back strikeouts to give MSUB another chance to win.
 
The 'Jackets set themselves up once again in the top of the 10th, when Kaden Kirshenbaum roped a one-out double into left field. An error by the Nighthawks prolonged the inning, and James Anderson legged out an infield single to score Kirshenbaum and put MSUB ahead 5-4.
 
A bases-loaded walk in the bottom of the inning evened the score once again however, before Miller escaped the jam with a double play turned by Zack Blaszak and Bleggi that pushed the game to an 11th inning. The big defensive play energized Miller, who struck out the side in the bottom of the 11th after the 'Jackets went down in order in the top of the frame.
 
NNU reliever Joseph Ihli made it seven straight hitters retired with a clean top of the 12th, setting up Clubb's triple which eventually won the game.
 
After NNU took the lead in the bottom of the third on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Shane Jamison, the Yellowjackets established their advantage with four runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Anderson plated a run with a single in the fifth, and AJ Wagenmann followed with a sacrifice fly to give MSUB its first lead of the day at 2-1.
 
An RBI-single off the bat of Mitch Winter preceded a sacrifice fly by Bodee Wright in the sixth, and the 'Jackets doubled their tally to the tune of a 4-1 advantage.
 
Anderson was 2-for-4 with two RBIs, while Payton Flynn and Kirshenbaum each also had two hits for MSUB. The 'Jackets collected eight knocks in the game, while stranding nine runners.
 
Kyle Payne was 3-for-3 for the hosts, and Leavitt chipped in three hits as the leadoff and ninth-place hitters combined for half of NNU's 12 hits in the game. The Nighthawks stranded 13 runners, while striking out 12 times and drawing six walks.
 
NNU starter Brock Moffitt allowed four runs on five hits with five strikeouts and two walks in the no-decision, before Nick Irwin and Shane Martin combined to hold MSUB to one run over the next 4 2/3 innings of play.
 
MSUB starter Daniel Naughton was outstanding in his five innings of work, striking out three and issuing two walks while limiting NNU to just one run on three hits. Trevor Cassell bridged the gap allowing two runs on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over the next 2 2/3 innings, before Miller tossed the final 3 1/3 frames.
 
Game 2 – Northwest Nazarene 14, MSU Billings 5 (7 Innings)
 
The second game of the series featured early fireworks, as the 'Jackets jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning. After Carson Green led off the game with a walk, Kirshenbaum gave his team the early advantage with a two-run home run.
 
The Nighthawks got one run back on a Jamison home run in the bottom of the first, but that's all the scoring either team managed until an eventful fifth inning. The 'Jackets once again built on their lead, scoring two runs in the top of the fifth on Kirshenbaum's second home run and a passed ball by the Nighthawks.
 
NNU had a game-changing eight-run bottom of the fifth however, pulling away to solidify the doubleheader sweep. Five different Nighthawks had RBIs during the decisive inning, and by the end of it MSUB trailed 9-4 and couldn't bounce back. The Nighthawks added five more runs in the bottom of the sixth to further extend the advantage, with a two-run home run off the bat of Nolan Walker highlighting the second straight big inning.
 
NNU starter Jonathan Zayas shook off the two-run first inning, and wound up striking out nine while walking five and allowing two runs on two hits in his 3 1/3 innings of work. Three Nighthawk arms combined to finish the game, holding MSUB to three runs on three hits with nine more strikeouts and two walks over the final 3 2/3 innings.
 
Yellowjacket starter Jackson Betancourt allowed six runs on four hits with eight strikeouts and five walks in his 4 2/3 innings of work. Blake Rainey, Lance Schaaf, and Sage Wayment combined to throw the final 1 1/3 innings for the 'Jackets. MSUB managed just five hits offensively, and stranded 10 runners on base in the nightcap.
 
THE BUZZ: Kirshenbaum was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…MSUB is now 57-67 all-time against NNU and is 29-34 in road games against the Nighthawks.
 
UP NEXT: The series concludes on Friday, with another doubleheader scheduled for a noon first pitch in Nampa. Live video will be available here, and live statistics will be available here.