BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team (8-16, 2-6 GNAC) dropped game one 19-11 and game two 6-5 to the #14 Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks (14-4-1, 4-2 GNAC) in their first meetup of 2024.
 
GAME 1: MSUB 11, NNU 19
In their first games on home turf the Yellowjackets produced early action. Following a run in the top of the first from the Nighthawks, MSUB put up five runs behind a two RBI home run from Payton Flynn. Zack Blaszak pushed another run across in the second after drawing a bases loaded walk to score James Anderson. Flynn struck again in the third via two RBI single to put the 'Jackets ahead 5-1.
 
From there the Nighthawks heated up, scoring 12 unanswered runs in the third and fourth inning. MSUB quickly responded in the bottom of the fourth after a Bodee Wright base hit to score Nate May, and a Blaszak two RBI home run to bring the Yellowjackets within five. The 'Jackets tallied three in the fifth as well due to an RBI single from Cole Ayala, followed Anderson scoring on a Nighthawk error, and a RBI fielders choice from Ryan Jeffrey to make it a 13-10 ballgame. That would be the last of offensive production from the Yellowjackets and the Nighthawks went on to score six more to ultimately take the 19-11 victory.
 
Jake Finkelstein made the game one start, throwing three complete innings with a pair of strikeouts and allowing seven earned runs. First out of the pen for the Yellowjackets was Sage Wayment that went one complete inning with a strikeout and allowed five earned runs. Relieving Wayment was true freshman Zane Baltz who went four complete innings with four strikeouts while allowing five earned runs as well. Rounding it out on the bump for MSUB was Lance Schaaf who closed out the game throwing one complete inning and allowed one earned run.
 
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "Our offensive approach was spot on in the first game and I was proud of how we continued to battle. We gave them too many free opportunities and we needed to be better at controlling the baseball. Baltz gave us a chance out of the pen, but we just didn't get quite enough production on both sides of the ball."
 
GAME 2: MSUB 5, NNU 6
The 'Jackets struck first in the second game of the day, Bodee Wright led off the inning with a double to left field and was immediately brought home on a base hit from Zack Blaszak. After a scoreless second inning from both squads, NNU got on the board in the top of the third scoring two runs on two hits. The Yellowjackets quickly answered in the bottom half with three of their own via RBI single from Blaszak that scored Jarret Elmer who had a one out double to reach base. Payton Flynn did the rest on his second home run of the day and putting MSUB in the lead 4-2.
 
Their lead didn't last long as the Nighthawks stole the momentum back in the fifth, scoring three runs on a home run from NNU's Duke Pakukoa. Both offenses stayed silent until the bottom of the seventh, with NNU leading by one run the Yellowjackets tied up the ballgame 5-5. Blaszak got things going with a one out base hit with Flynn following suite behind him. Kaden Kirshenbaum was then hit by a pitch to load the bases and Ryan Jeffrey scored Blaszak on a fielder's choice to send the game into extra innings.
 
Heartbreak struck in the eighth inning as the Nighthawks took the lead again on a solo home run. MSUB got out of the inning and went to work at the plate. Scott Artzer led off the inning with a base hit but with one out NNU ended the game on a strikeout/throw out, catching Artzer stealing second base. The Nighthawks extra-inning heroics led them to take the 6-5 game two win, claiming victory in both games of the doubleheader.
 
Jackson Betancourt made the start in the second game of the series, going six complete innings with two strikeouts and allowing just four earned runs. Coming out of the pen and relieving Betancourt in the seventh inning was Brian Baker. In two complete innings of work, Baker tallied five strikeouts while allowing only one earned run.
 
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "The second matchup was just flat out a great ballgame. I thought we had it several times, but we just needed a couple more things to fall our way. Flynn had a great day and had a crucial home run in the third and another clutch at bat late in the game that really helped us. Baker as well was solid out of the pen; he just had some bad luck for him to lose a close game like that given his performance."
 
THE BUZZ: Payton Flynn was named Intermountain Health Player of the Day after going 5-9 from the plate with six RBIs, two runs, and two home runs.
 
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team is back at it again tomorrow at 12 & 3 PM (PST) against The Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks.