PUEBLO, Colo. — The Montana State University Billings baseball team (3-4) came up short 13-6 to CSU Pueblo on Thursday afternoon at Rawlings Field, as the ThunderWolves jumped out to an early lead and held off a late Yellowjacket rally in the third game of the series.
After falling behind early, the Yellowjackets battled back with runs in four different innings and finished with 11 hits, but a pair of high-scoring frames by CSU Pueblo in the opening innings proved decisive. MSUB showed resilience at the plate with their biggest inning coming in the eighth while receiving a strong long relief outing from
Carson Waples.
On the mound,
Brennen Chappell made the start, throwing 1.2 innings with one strikeout before
Owen Combs followed with one inning of work.
Carson Waples provided a bright spot for the MSUB pitching staff, tossing 5.1 scoreless innings out of the bullpen while allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out three to keep the Yellowjackets within striking distance.
"Waples did an outstanding job today and gave us a chance to get back in the game," said head coach
Derek Waddoups. "I love how our guys played all 27 outs and didn't give up. We had some bad luck in the early innings and just need to keep finding ways to minimize the big inning. Overall we had a good road trip with lots of learning experiences, and we will continue to grow and develop."
Game Flow
CSU Pueblo wasted little time getting on the board, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning following a pair of singles and a two-run double. The ThunderWolves then broke the game open in the second, plating seven runs on five hits and taking advantage of multiple MSUB errors to build a 10–0 lead. Pueblo added three more runs in the third inning, pushing the margin to 13–0 through three complete.
The Yellowjackets got on the scoreboard in the fifth inning when
Kyle Henington tripled down the right-field line and later scored on an RBI single by
Ryker Fortier. MSUB added another run in the sixth as
River Smith delivered an RBI single to left field, trimming the deficit to 13–2.
MSUB continued to chip away in the seventh, as Henington and Fortier again sparked the offense. Henington singled and later scored on a groundout, marking the Yellowjackets' third run of the afternoon. The biggest push came in the eighth inning, when MSUB scored three runs behind timely hitting and aggressive baserunning, highlighted by a two-run single from Henington and a run coming home on a wild pitch.
Henington led the Yellowjackets offensively, going 3-for-5 with a triple, two runs scored, two RBI and a stolen base. Fortier finished 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while
River Smith was 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk.
Cade Queen added a double and a run scored, and
Kaden Bertram went 2-for-4 as MSUB finished the day with multiple-hit performances throughout the lineup.
STAT LEADERS
H:
Kyle Henington (3);
Ryker Fortier (3)
R:
Kyle Henington (2)
RBI:
Kyle Henington (2)
IP:
Carson Waples (5.1)
SO:
Carson Waples (3)
THE BUZZ: Carson Waples was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after tossing 5.1 innings in relief while allowing zero runs, one hit, and one walk with three strikeouts.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings baseball team sets their sights on their home opener, hosting Regis University for a four-game series at Pitz Field in Billings, MT with first pitch set for 1:00pm on February 12
th.
