DENVER, Col. – Schedule changes, halted games, snow delays, and a cancelled game didn't stop the Montana State University Billings baseball team from grinding out a pair of wins to win the series over Regis University (5-6). The Yellowjackets improved to 8-4 on the year, claiming victory in game one and game two, 7-6 and 10-9, but falling short 7-6 to after an extra inning walk off from the Rangers.
On the offensive end,
Zack Blaszak led the way with seven hits in the three-game stretch while collecting four RBIs, six runs, and one home run. The juggernaut behind their production was
Kaden Kirshenbaum though, tallying six hits, eight RBIs, four runs, a pair of doubles, and a pair of home runs. Following was
Bodee Wright with six hits and six runs, and
Ryker Fortier with five hits, two runs, two RBIs, and three doubles. On the bump,
Lance Schaaf picked up his third win of the season in game one, followed by Mullins posting three innings pitched with two strikeouts and zero runs in game two to earn the win.
Andy Evans also had a credible series, making two appearances for a combined 5.1 innings pitched while tallying five strikeouts and collecting his fourth save of the year.
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "Really happy with how our guys competed all weekend, we made great defensive plays paired with great pitching performances and had some very clutch at bats. It was awesome to see different guys step up throughout the weekend. Evans and Mullins were outstanding on the mound in relief, and we had good outings from Betancourt and Miller, and all around throughout our staff. Our lineup continues to find ways to score runs. Proud of our guys for winning another road series and we're looking forward to competing against Colorado Mesa here in a couple of weeks."
GAME ONE: MSUB 7; REGIS 6
Right on que, the Yellowjackets struck first in the four-game series after a leadoff double from
Bodee Wright, following was a walk from
Jack Nehler and
Kaden Kirshenbaum bringing Wright home on an RBI single. The 'Jackets went on to load the bases in the top of the first but were unable to push any more across, sending senior
Jackson Betancourt to the mound for his 38
th career start which puts him tied for second all-time in the MSUB history books for career starts. Betancourt went on to throw three scoreless innings and
Nate McDonald gave him some insurance in the top of the fourth inning, hitting a solo shot for his first career home run.
The Rangers struck back with a run of their own in the bottom half of the fourth, but
Zack Blaszak immediately responded with a two-run homer in the top of the fifth to give MSUB the 4-1 lead. Regis plated three more in the bottom half of the inning to take the 6-4 lead and forcing the Yellowjackets to head to the pen. Betancourt was relieved by
Andrew White but not before going 5.2 innings with three strikeouts while allowing four earned runs. White was able to get out of the jam and went on to throw 1.2 innings with two strikeouts while allowing just one earned run. After scoreless baseball, White was relieved by
Lance Schaaf in the bottom of the eighth who threw one pitch double play to head into the top of the ninth.
Parker Bleggi got things going in the final inning of play by drawing a hit bay pitch, followed by a single from
Bodee Wright and a bunt single from Blaszak to load the bases. Kirshenbaum brought them within one run on a sacrifice fly to score Bleggi, followed by
Ryan Jeffrey drawing a hit by pitch, and McDonald scoring Blaszak on an RBI single while
Bodee Wright came around to score on a wild throw to retake a 7-6 lead.
Andy Evans then entered the game in the bottom of the ninth for his fourth appearance of the year and went on to shut down the Ranger offense, throwing one complete inning with one strikeout to help lead the 'Jackets to a 7-6 comeback victory. Evans earned his third save of the year, giving Schaaf the win for his third win of the season.
GAME TWO: MSUB 10; REGIS 9
Blaszak got the Yellowjackets on the board in the first after a base knock and was brought home on a Ranger error from the bat of Kirshenbaum to take the 1-0 lead.
Cy Miller got the game two start on the bump, making his third start of the season. Regis struck back with a run of their own in the bottom of the first, but Kirshenbaum gave MSUB the 4-1 lead after hitting a three RBI home run which was the 21
st of his career. The Rangers quickly responded, evening the score at four apiece after scoring three runs on three hits heading into the fourth inning.
In the top of the fourth,
Ryker Fortier reached base on a wild pitch followed by Bleggi drawing a hit by pitch and a walk from Wright to load the bases. Blaszak then brought two home on a two RBI single followed by an RBI base hit from Nehler to give the Yellowjackets the 7-4 advantage. Malcom Bartholomew made his fourth appearance of the season in the bottom of the fifth but not before Miller ended his day with four complete innings with four strikeouts while allowing four runs. After completion of the fifth inning, the umpires ruled a halted game due to lack of daylight and postponing the game until the following morning.
Picking up the game the following day, the Yellowjackets added two more runs in the top of the sixth after a double from Nehler and Kirshenbaum blasting his second homer of the game to make it a 9-4 ball game. The Rangers made their final at bats worth it, scoring five runs on a pair of bombs to force MSUB to go to the bullpen.
Hayden Mullins entered the game and went one-two-three, sending it into the eighth. With it tied up at nine apiece, Kirshenbaum and Jeffrey hit back-to-back doubles in the top of the ninth to give the 'Jackets the one run advantage. Mullins closed out the ninth to help lead MSUB to the 10-9 victory while posting three complete innings with a pair of strikeouts while allowing zero runs and just one hit, earning his second win of the season.
GAME THREE: MSUB 6; REGIS 7
After the Yellowjackets struck first again in the opening frame on a sacrifice fly from Kirshenbaum to score Blaszak who previously reached base on his seventh hit of the weekend,
Kevin McClellan took the mound for his second start of season. The Rangers went on to push one across the in each of the first two innings, but MSUB answered back in the top of the third with three runs on three hits to make it a 4-2 ball game. Blaszak again got things going with another base hit and was later brought home on a fielder's choice followed by a two RBI double from Fortier to score Kirshenbaum and Jeffrey.
Regis scraped another across in the bottom half, but MSUB matched with an RBI single from Nehler to score
Bodee Wright, holding a 5-3 advantage. McClellan then made his exit, throwing three complete innings while allowing just four hits and two earned runs. As the snow started to pour down in Denver, CO heading into the bottom of the fourth,
Cole Bakker came in to relieve McClellan, making his third appearance of the season. Bakker's outing was brief as the Rangers would score two runs to tie it up and loaded the bases with no outs, but the game would be stalled as they went into a snow delay. After a short period of time, both squads retook the field, but it was
Andy Evans who took the mound looking to get out of the jam. Getting out of the bases loaded and no out jam is exactly what he did, getting a double play followed by a strikeout to keep the game at 5-5 heading into the fifth inning.
The 'Jackets immediately took a one run advantage in the following half via leadoff double from Fortier who was advanced over on a single from Bleggi, capitalizing on a passed ball from Regis to regain the upper hand. After the Rangers evened the score in the bottom of the fifth, both squads would go scoreless for the next two innings to send it to extras. The Yellowjackets couldn't convert in the eighth and Regis went on to walk it off on an RBI single, taking game three 7-6. Evans ended his day with 4.1 innings pitched with four strikeouts while allowing just two earned runs.
STATISTIC LEADERS
HITS: Zack Blaszak (7);
Kaden Kirshenbaum (6);
Bodee Wright (6)
RBI: Kaden Kirshenbaum (8);
Zack Blaszak (4)
RUNS: Zack Blaszak (6);
Bodee Wright (6)
IP: Jackson Betancourt (5.2);
Andy Evans (5.1)
SO: Andy Evans (5);
Cy Miller (4);
Jackson Betancourt (4)
SV/W: Lance Schaaf (win);
Hayden Mullins (win);
Andy Evans (save)
THE BUZZ: Nate McDonald was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one,
Hayden Mullins for game two, and
Ryker Fortier for game three.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings baseball team takes the next weekend off before heading to Grand Junction Colorado to take on the #9 Colorado Mesa University as ranked in the most recent NCBWA polls. The Yellowjackets will play a four-game series against the Mavericks starting on February 27
th at 2:00 PM. Live statistics for the four game stretch can be found
here, and the live stream link can be found
here.
