BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team (13-10, 7-1 GNAC) defeated the Saint Martin's University Saints (8-15, 0-4 GNAC) and took the series sweep in a pair of victories on Saturday.
 
The Yellowjackets lit up the scoreboard again on Saturday with a fifteen run, sixteen hit performance to pummel the Saints 15-3. Kaden Bertram led the way for the Jackets' with a four-for-four outing that included two home runs and five RBI's. The Jackets launched five home runs in total while four MSUB pitchers worked to hold the Saint's to just three runs and ten hits. The second game of the day was a back-and-forth battle, with the Jacket's prevailing 7-5 after going ahead off a pair of sacrifice fly's in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bertram continued to impress at the plate, going three-for-three with another home run and driving in four of MSUB's seven runs. Hayden Mullins had an impressive closing appearance that held the Saint's to just one hit and no runs in the final two and two-thirds innings.
 
HEAR FROM WADDOUPS: "I am proud of our team for their efforts this weekend. We had offensive production up and down the line up and off the bench. It was great to see the team perform offensively. Nehler did Nehler things all weekend and continues to have timely hitting. Bertram had an outstanding weekend offensively and produced with big RBI's. Queen was great in game three and continues to show growth and development. Mullins was electric out of the pen earning the win in game 4. I love how our staff executed over the weekend."
 
GAME 1: MSUB 15, SMU 3
The Yellowjacket offense picked up right where it left off in game one of the day, scoring fifteen runs off sixteen hits, five of those being home runs. Kaden Bertram did his job in the designated hitter spot and went 4-4 on the day with two long balls in the first and fifth innings. Bertram drove in four runs off the home runs and added a fifth RBI in the 2^nd inning off a single. Ryker Fortier, Espn Fisher, and Nick Reed each had two-hit games, with Fortier and Reed each blasting solo shots and Reed recording two RBI's. Jason Wright launched a solo home run of his own in the sixth inning, and Nate McDonald added two RBI's and a double
 
Freshman Cade Queen got the start for the Jackets' on the bump, posting his longest outing of his career with five complete innings. Queen allowed just five hits, one earned run, and tallied a career-high seven strikeouts. Malcolm Bartholomew came in in relief and tossed two strikeouts and allowed a hit in the sixth inning. Freshman Scott Klinker took the mound in the seventh and held the Saints to two hits and three strikeouts. Brody Nanini closed the game out for the Jackets with one run allowed and a strikeout.
 
GAME 2: MSUB 7, SMU 3
Game two proved to be a tighter battle between the two squads. The Saints got on the board early in the first inning, scoring on a fielder's choice and an error by the Yellowjackets to take a 2-0 lead. The Saints would load the bases with two outs but were unable to capitalize and left three runners stranded. The Jackets' answered quickly in the bottom of the inning by Jack Nehler continuing his impressive weekend at the plate, ripping a double to right field to score two runs and quickly tie the game. Kaden Bertram doubled in the next at bat to score Nehler and give MSUB the 3-2 lead. The Saints were quick to tie the score again in the second inning off a two-out single by Evan Nicol.  The Yellowjackets would take the lead again in the third courtesy of a lead-off solo home run from Bertram. The Saints would answer right back the next inning with the first three batters reaching base and scoring one off a fielder's choice to tie the game yet again.
 
The back-and-forth battle would continue in the bottom of the fourth. Ryker Fortier smacked a two-out triple to right center, eventually to be driven in off a Bertram single and give the Jackets the 5-4 lead. Saint Martin's would tie the game once again the following inning, scoring off a wild pitch. The difference maker would eventually come in the bottom of the sixth for the Jackets', who would take the clinching win. Kyle Henington and Ryker Fortier would start the inning off with back-to-back singles, with both coming in to score on sacrifice fly's from Nehler and Bertram. The Jackets would take a 7-5 lead and hold the Saints in the seventh to come out victorious. Bertram finished 3-3 with four RBI's and a home run. Fortier and Henington each tallied two hits, with two stolen bases for Fortier and one for Henington. Nehler finished 1-2 with three RBI's.
 
Owen Combs made his second start of the season for the Yellowjackets, tossing three innings and allowing three earned runs and two strikeouts. Hayden Mullins would close out the last 2.2 innings and earn the win for the Jackets' in dominate fashion, allowing just one hit and striking out three. The win moves Mullins to 3-1 on the season.
 
STAT LEADERS
Kaden Bertram – 7-7, 3 HR, 3 R, 9 RBI
Ryker Fortier – 4-7, 6 R, 3 RBI, 2 SB
Cade Queen – 5.0 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 7 SO, W
Hayden Mullins – 2.2 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 SO, W
 
THE BUZZ: Kaden Bertram was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game one after going 4-4 at the plate with two home runs and five homeruns. Hayden Mullins was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game for game two after closing out game two with just one hit, no runs allowed, and three strikeouts in two and two-thirds innings of work.
 
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket baseball team will face the Western Oregon Wolves at home for a four-game conference home series on March 13, with a doubleheader starting at 1 & 4 PM.