FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, February 10, 2017 Yellowjacket baseball opens 2017 with 2 losses at Colorado Mines
MSUB falls 10-1 in Game 1, before a tightly-contested, 6-3 loss in Game 2 that comes down to the final two innings on Friday. GOLDEN, Colo. – Three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth inning of Game 2 helped host Colorado School of Mines secure a doubleheader sweep of the Montana State University Billings baseball team Friday evening at Jim Darden Field, as the Yellowjackets lost Game 1 10-1 and fell in the 7-inning nightcap 6-3. After missing the majority of the 2016 season with an injury, senior outfielder Casey Merritt made his return to the field count as he went 5-for-7 in the doubleheader, walked, was hit by a pitch, and stole a base. Reigning all-region designated hitter Adam Cox reached base four times in Game 1, as he walked twice and was hit by a pitch twice to start his 2017 season. The Yellowjackets (0-2) showed great patience, drawing 13 walks in the doubleheader. MSUB had several chances to pull out a win in Game 2, leaving 10 runners on base through the first six innings of play.
“Colorado Mines came out and played good baseball today, and from an offensive standpoint we left too many runners on base,” said first-year MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “We gave ourselves plenty of opportunities to score runs. Our pitching staff threw well overall, and Adam and Steen overpowered their hitters through the first six innings in Game 2.” Colorado Mines (2-0) started its season with 21 hits on the day, and four different players drove in two runs for the home team. Game 1 – Colorado Mines 10, MSU Billings 1 The Orediggers put together a three-run first inning and never looked back, jumping to a 7-0 advantage by the end of the fourth and closing strong for their first win of the season. CSM’s hot bats spoiled the 2017 debut of MSUB ace Cody Cooper, who allowed four runs on five hits with two strikeouts and four walks in three innings pitched. Jared Winslow tossed two innings in relief, and junior Garrett Baldry threw the final three on the mound for the Yellowjackets. Connor Lambert plated the first run of the game with an RBIdouble in the first, which was shortly followed by a two-run home run from Jace Selsor. The Orediggers had another big inning in the fourth, as Phillip Vanzale, Logan Smith, and Cody Marble each drove in a run to make the score 7-0. Smith led CSM in Game 1, going 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a pair of runs scored in his 2017 debut. MSUB’s only run of the game came in the fifth inning, when junior catcher Landon Peterson launched his first-career home run over the fence in center. It was all the ‘Jackets could muster against Mines starter Tyler Thomas, who struck out seven and walked just one while giving up three hits in five solid innings to earn the win. Three CSM pitchers combined to give up just four hits and no runs over the final four innings, as Nathan Smyte, Mitch Menard, and Colton Martin prevented any chance of an MSUB comeback.
Adam Cox made his first-career start on Friday, while getting on base in 5 of 7 plate appearances with three hit-by-pitches and two walks.
Merritt was the lone MSUB player with multiple hits, as the senior went 3-for-4 in his return to the diamond in center field. “Casey is one of our leaders, and he came out ready to go today,” Sutton said. “Getting off to a good start in his senior season was important to him, and I know he has worked hard for it.” Both teams were sound defensively in Game 1, with no errors on either side.
Game 2 – Colorado Mines 6, MSU Billings 3 (7 Innings) A defensive letdown in the bottom of the sixth inning helped Mines break a 3-3 tie, as the host scored three unearned runs to move three outs away from a doubleheader sweep. Closer Clark Martin made quick work of the Yellowjackets with a 1-2-3 top of the seventh inning to secure his first win of the year. After playing error-free defense in the first game, four of the six runs MSUB gave up in the second went down as unearned with three errors in the field. MSUB sophomore Steen Fredrickson suffered the loss, despite allowing only one earned run with three strikeouts and no walks in 2 1/3 strong innings in relief. Cox started the game, and struck out four batters in 3 2/3 innings with one earned run allowed on three hits and one walk. Kade Hall impressed in his first game as a Yellowjacket, going 2-for-3 with an RBI-double in the first inning and drawing a walk in four times to bat. The junior also gunned down two would-be base stealers from behind the plate, to help keep MSUB alive in what turned out to be a tight game. “The experience of Kade being a junior showed a lot, and he didn’t shy away from the competition,” Sutton said. “He and Casey really showed up, and just competed. Kade let everything take care of itself, and he got us going in Game 2.” Aside from Hall’s two hits, Merritt had the only other knocks of the game for MSUB, which was held in check by three different Mines arms. Jake Ekstrom started and allowed two runs on three hits and four walks in three innings, and Walter Pennington came on to strike out six Yellowjackets in 2 2/3 innings while allowing just one run. The Yellowjackets scored in each of the first two innings, thanks to Hall’s double and a bases-loaded walk drawn by sophomore Jalen Garcia. After Mines took a 3-2 lead, MSUB scraped home the tying run in the top of the sixth as Max Hartgraves walked, and motored to third and home on a pair of wild pitches. Colton Wardle had two hits and two RBIs, and Jared Rodriquez also drove in a pair of runs with a base hit in the fourth inning. THE BUZZ: Merritt was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Hartgraves, Garcia, and Hall each had their first career hits for MSUB…the start was the first in Cox’s career, after 38 combined relief appearances in his freshman and sophomore seasons…Friday marked the first-ever meeting between the teams. NEXT UP: The ‘Jackets and Orediggers wrap up the season-opening series on Saturday with a single 9-inning game. Start time has been adjusted to 11 a.m., after being originally scheduled for a noon first pitch. Live video and live statistics will be available online at www.msubsports.com. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--