BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team (13-29, 7-17 GNAC) battled through another heartbreaking walk-off to the #23 Northwest Nazarene Nighthawks (27-10-1, 17-7 GNAC). The Nighthawks took game one 9-2 and narrowly bested the 'Jackets in game two after their second walk-off of the weekend, claiming a 4-3 victory in the bottom of the 10^th inning.
 
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "We had a gutsy performance from McClellan and Bertram on the mound today, they each threw multiple innings and gave us a chance to win both ballgames. It was impressive to watch them compete and change speeds and I just loved their effort. We fought hard all day; I am proud that our guys never gave up and continued to fight. Going extra innings in game four stretched us and we just came up a run short. It was hard to lose Kirshenbaum in the first game to an injury, he is a game changing hitter in our lineup. We had several guys step up in game two, but we just didn't quite finish the job."
 
GAME 3: MSUB 2, NNU 9
The #23 team in the nation came out hot again in game three of the series after putting up three runs in the first three innings but the 'Jackets stuck back in the following frame. In the top of the third the Yellowjackets tacked on a pair of runs via leadoff double from Parker Bleggi, followed by back-to-back base hits from Zack Blaszak and Jack Nehler, and Payton Flynn scoring the second run on a sacrifice fly to cut their deficit to just one run. From there the Nighthawks chipped away, scoring three in the bottom of the third, one in the seventh, and two in the eighth to claim a 9-2 victory.
 
Jake Finkelstein made the game three start for the Yellowjackets, going 2.1 innings and was quickly relieved by Kevin McClellan. McClellan kept the 'Jackets in it, allowing just three runs with three strikeouts in 5.1 innings of work. Closing it out for MSUB was true sophomore Lance Schaaf who collected the final out in the bottom of the eighth.
 
GAME 4: MSUB 3, NNU 4
The Yellowjackets struck first in the final matchup of the weekend after Ryan Jeffrey and Berk Barnes led things off with back-to-back base hits. Jeffrey was later scored on an error, hit by Lane Seim to take the early lead. The Nighthawks quickly responded with one of their own in the bottom of the second to notch it up at one a piece.
 
The Nighthawks struck again in the bottom of the third, collecting two runs on two hits, including a solo home run. The Yellowjackets made it 3-2 ballgame, still in favor of NNU after Wright got on via walk, followed by a base hit from Nehler to bring him home. In the top of the seventh the 'Jackets forced extra innings for the second time on the weekend after Wright hit a leadoff double and was followed up by Nehlers seventh hit of the day to tie it up at three apiece. The game went on for three more innings and in the bottom of the 10^th the Nighthawks walked it off to take the 4-3 victory.
 
Andy Evans made the game four start for MSUB, going two complete innings with one strikeout and allowing just one earned run. First out of the pen was Brian Baker, after one inning of work was quickly relieved by Cy Miller. Miller went one complete inning with zero earned runs. Following was Cole Bertram who did the majority of the damage on the mound, allowing zero earned runs and just one hit with four strikeouts in his five innings of work. Closing it out was Lance Schaaf in his third appearance on the weekend, going 0.1 innings with one strikeout.
 
KEY PERFORMANCES:
GAME 1
Zack Blaszak – 2-3, R, HBP
Jack Nehler – 4-4, RBI
Parker Bleggi – 1-4, RBI, 2B
Kevin McClellan – 5.1 IP, 3 SO, 3 ER
GAME 2
Jack Nehler – 3-5, RBI, 2B
Cole Bertram – 5.0 IP, 0 ER, 4 SO
Bodee Wright – 2-4, 2 R, 2B
Berk Barnes – 2-5, 2B
Nate May – 2-2, BB
 
THE BUZZ: Cole Bertram was named Intermountain Health Player of the Day after allowing zero earned runs with four strikeouts in five complete innings of work.
 
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team is back on the road, heading to Ellensburg, WA for a four-game series against Central Washington University with first pitch scheduled for April 26^th at noon (PDT).