SAN FRANCISCO, Cali. – The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team split the double header on opening day and look to win the road series tomorrow for game three.
On the opening day of the 2024 baseball season the Yellowjackets (1-1) split the two games against the Gators winning the first game 6-1.
Jackson Betancourt picked up the win on the bump after throwing seven complete innings while allowing just one run. "Betancourt threw an outstanding game for us and showed a lot of toughness today in his outing," said head coach Derek Waddoups. "He pitched very well, especially when runners were in scoring positions."
To nobody's surprise,
Payton Flynn led the charge on offense in the first game going 3-5 from the plate with a double and two runs.
Bodee Wright,
Zack Blaszak, and
Scott Artzer all had two hits apiece with Wright and Blaszak also having a pair of walks. The Yellowjacket offense featured six different players with an RBI and four different players with at least one run. "We had production up and down the lineup including RBIs from six different players," said Waddoups. "Loved that we won the freebie war by drawing six walks and a hit by pitch."
Game One: MSUB 6, SFSU 1
The 'Jackets opened 2024 season with a bang, scoring three runs in the top of the first.
Bodee Wright led the game off with a base hit and
Zack Blaszak followed suit. MSUB picked up their runs on a pair of fielder's choices and an untimely error by the Gators.
Payton Flynn made this possible by picking up where he left off last season by driving a double into the gap.
San Francisco State would pick up their only run of the game in the bottom of the second but the 'Jackets would answer with a run in the fourth, and the fifth due to a Blaszak single that scored
Jarret Elmer and a SAC fly from
Berkley Barnes scoring Flynn. After settling in Betancourt showed complete domination on the mound going six straight scoreless innings. The Yellowjackets also picked up an insurance run in the eighth inning on a single by
Scott Artzer scoring Elmer.
Beau Burnett would make his MSUB Yellowjacket debut picking up Betancourt in the top of the eighth. Burnett went two scoreless innings with two strikeouts and allowed just two hits and zero walks closing the door and securing MSUB's first win of the season. "Beau did an outstanding job coming out of the pen to finish the game for us," said Waddoups. "He came through when it mattered, threw strikes, and competed very well."
Game Two: SFSU 10, MSUB 0
San Francisco State came out with fire after dropping the first game to the Yellowjackets. Things got out of hand early after the Gators scored seven runs in the first inning. The 'Jackets were able to limit the damage after
Sage Wayment entered the game and posted 2.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. San Francisco State's Ryan Garza, Jacob French, and Andrew Silva kept the Yellowjacket offense at bay and combined for a seven-inning shutout.
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS:
"Wayment was outstanding out of the pen and gave us a chance by throwing two scoreless innings. We just got off to a bad start and didn't get enough going offensively."
THE BUZZ
Game 1: Jackson Betancourt was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after picking up the first win the of season. Betancourt threw seven complete innings with five strikeouts and zero walks while allowing just one run and six hits.
Game 2: Sage Wayment was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after throwing 2.2 scoreless innings with two strikeouts, allowing just two hits and zero walks.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team is back at it again tomorrow at noon (PST) for game three of their three game series vs San Francisco State University.
