LACEY, Wash. – The Montana State University Billings baseball team picked up two more crucial wins against Saint Martin's University on Sunday, giving MSUB the series sweep in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.
 
The Yellowjackets (20-20, 11-11 GNAC) picked up their first series sweep in conference play this season with a pair of victories against the Saints (13-25, 9-15 GNAC). MSUB began the day with an emphatic 13-1 win where everything clicked for the visitors, before seeing of the Saint's challenge in the final game to leave Lacey with a 7-4 victory over the hosts. The wins helped the 'Jackets close the gap in the GNAC standings, where they find themselves in a battle for the top three spots, and a trip to the GNAC Championships.
 
"I couldn't be prouder of our team's efforts today, and throughout the entire series," said Yellowjacket's head coach Derek Waddoups. "Our pitching staff, led by coach Matt Hape were fantastic all weekend, and set us up for success every game. Our starters came out sharp, and the boys out of the pen did a great job of finishing off the games today. We had so many different guys step up on offense for us, and we did all the little things right as a group."
 
Game 1: MSUB 13, SMU 1
 
The Yellowjacket's offense kicked things off in powerful fashion, when Payton Flynn's solo home run opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. He would be followed by a two-run double by leadoff hitter Carson Green later in the inning, and the 'Jackets jumped out to a 3-0 lead early. The Saints would get one run back in the bottom of the second, but it would be the only run that the Yellowjacket's pitchers would allow in the game. The offense continued to score in bunches, scoring a trio of runs in the fourth, seventh, and ninth innings while totaling 21 hits in the game as the Yellowjackets ran away with the opening game of the day.
 
"Payton's home run got us going early, and the offense was balanced all game," Waddoups said. "We just kept putting the ball in play all game, and good things happened for us."
 
Flynn finished 3-5 on the day with a run and three RBIs, adding the other two on an RBI triple in the eighth inning and a bases loaded walk in the ninth. Kaden Kirshenbaum went 3-4, with all three hits being doubles, adding an RBI and a run. Zack Blaszak went 3-4 with three runs. Jack Nehler was 2-4 with two runs and an RBI, Bodee Wright was 2-3 with a walk and a steal. Carson Green was 1-5 with a pair of RBIs. Tyler Godfrey, Hayden Foltz, Mitch Winter, Parker Bleggi, and AJ Wagenmann each added a hit, with the latter four adding an RBI each.
 
Ty Wilson picked up the win, his second of the season, throwing five strong innings of four hit ball, striking out three batters. The combination of Cole Bertram, Sage Wayment, Lance Schaaf, and Blake Rainey would finish things out for the 'Jackets, combining to allow just three hits and a walk over the final four innings. Bertram and Wayment each struck out two, while Rainey fanned one.
 
"Ty gave us a good start," said Waddoups. "And our bullpen guys kept the energy up and attacked their hitters well."
 
Game 2: MSUB 7, SMU 4
 
A five-run top of the first would set MSUB up for success early in game two of the day. After quickly loading the bases to start the game, Bodee Wright would draw a walk to bring home the first run of the game. The next batter was the first baseman Jack Nehler, who would send a ball deep to left center and over the fence for a grand slam, the first one of Nehler's MSUB career. The Saints would chip away at the lead slowly over the following innings, making things as close as 5-4 in the fifth inning. But the 'Jackets bullpen would come up big down the stretch, with Cy Miller coming in to throw three innings, allowing one run and striking out four. Brock Molenda and Carson Green would add two more runs in the sixth inning for insurance, and Daniel Naughton would come in to collect the save with a clean seventh inning, helping the Yellowjackets lock up the series sweep.
 
"Cy and Dan were lights out coming out of the bullpen in game two," Waddoups said. "It was nice to see them step up for us down the stretch. Jack stepped up big time, he was a real game changer today, and Carson and Brock did a good job of giving us a little breathing room late."
 
Green went 3-4 atop MSUB's lineup with an RBI. Nehler was 1-2 in the game with 4 RBIs, two runs, and a walk. Zack Blaszak was 2-3 with a run and a steal, while Hayden Foltz, Kaden Kirshenbaum, and Payton Flynn each had a run.
 
THE BUZZ: Nehler was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day, going 3-6 between both games with four runs and five RBIs… Flynn's home run was his 11^th of the season, top of the GNAC… MSUB's pitchers combined to allow just six runs (five earned) over 32 innings of play, finishing the weekend with a staff ERA of 1.41, 20 strikeouts, and seven walks.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB continues its road trip with a five-game series against Western Oregon University next week, making up one of the games that was postponed earlier this spring due to weather conditions in Billings. The series kicks off with a single game on Thursday, April 27 at 2 PM (1 PM MST). Live video will be available here, and live statistics will be available here.