MONMOUTH, Ore. – The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team (11-23, 5-11 GNAC) dropped both on the day to the Western Oregon Wolves (15-14, 9-7 GNAC) with a final score of 5-1 and 6-4, both in favor of the Wolves.
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "Playing at Western we always expect a pitching duel, Cross was absolutely outstanding today and competed well for us throughout his whole outing. He was at his best with runners on and showed a lot of grit and toughness today. We had some tough luck throughout the whole day, hitting a lot of hard balls that were caught. In both games we brought the tying run to the plate but just needed one more thing to fall our way."
GAME 1: MSUB 1, WOU 5
Game three of the series proved to be a true rubber match between MSUB's
Ryun Cross and WOU's Alturo Alvarez. Despite getting the loss on the day Cross had a stellar outing, totaling five strikeouts while allowing just one earned run, five hits, and two walks in seven complete innings of work. A combination of untimely errors and Wolves hits allowed them to put up two runs in the second inning and three in the eighth.
Alvarez, the 2022 GNAC Pitcher of the Year kept the Yellowjacket lineup at bay for nearly seven straight innings. The 'Jackets forced the pitching change in the top of the seventh after loading the bases and scored their only run of the game after drawing three walks and a hit by pitch.
Ryan Jeffrey was first abord via walk, followed by a
Parker Bleggi HBP, a walk from
James Anderson, and
Bodee Wright earning the two out RBI walk. It seemed like the Yellowjackets had just gained some momentum but would ultimately fall 5-1 in favor of the Wolves.
GAME 2: MSUB 4, WOU 6
It was the Yellowjackets who struck first in the final game of the series,
Jack Nehler got things going with a two out single and later came around to score on an RBI base hit from
Kaden Kirshenbaum to give MSUB the early 1-0 lead. Their advantage didn't last long as the Wolves answered with three of their own in the bottom of the first, followed by solo runs in the bottom half of the third.
The 'Jackets scratched across another in the top of the fifth via leadoff double from
Berk Barnes who was later scored on a fielder's choice hit by
Zack Blaszak. Western yet again answered with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth inning but it was in the top of the seventh where the 'Jackets made things interesting.
After a Wolves pitching change,
Parker Bleggi started the rally with his second base hit of the game followed by a walk from
Brock Molenda. The 'Jackets utilized their baserunning skills by capitalizing on multiple wild pitches from WOU. After Bleggi and Molenda advanced on the first wild pitch,
Bodee Wright did the rest with an RBI single to score Bleggi. Immediately after, Molenda took off home on the second wild pitch from the Wolves bringing their deficit within two. Nehler would then draw a walk to bring the tying run to the plate, but the Yellowjackets were unable to convert, dropping the second game of the day 6-4.
In his second outing of the weekend and first career start,
Sage Wayment had the ball in the final game of the series. Fatigue got the best of the reliable closer as he went just two innings before being relieved by
Cole Bertram. Bertram quieted the Wolves lineup during his outing, throwing 2.1 innings with four strikeouts while allowing just three hits, one earned run, and one walk. Closing it out for the Yellowjackets was
Beau Burnett who allowed just one earned run, four hits, zero walks, and collected three strikeouts in his 1.2 innings of work.
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "I love the way that our lineup competed today, Western's staff did a great job on the bump and made it really tough on us. I like the way we match up and am excited for the second half of conference play, we just need more clutch plays and at clutch at bats to get over the hump."
KEY PERFORMANCES:
GAME 1
Bodee Wright: 1-3, RBI, BB
Kaden Kirshenbaum: 1-3, 2B, HBP
Brian Baker: 1.0 IP, 0 ER, 1 SO, 0 BB
GAME 2
Berk Barnes: 1-2, R, 2B, BB
Jack Nehler: 1-3, R, BB
Bodee Wright: 1-4, RBI
Kaden Kirshenbaum: 1-3, RBI
Cole Bertram: 2.1 IP, 4 SO, 1 ER
THE BUZZ
GAME 1: Ryun Cross was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game in the first game of the day after posting an impressive 7.0 innings pitched with five strikeouts while allowing just one earned run, five hits, and two walks.
GAME 2: Parker Bleggi was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game going 2-3 from the plate, including a leadoff hit and a run in the top of the seventh that propelled their late inning surge.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team has their first true bye weekend and will return to play on April 12
th against the Saint Martin's Saints in Billings, MT.
