FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Sunday, February 26, 2017 ‘Jackets shut out in finale at No. 15 Dixie State
Mason Hilty throws a one-hit shutout as the Yellowjackets have no answer for the senior right-hander in a 5-0 loss at No. 15 Dixie State on Sunday ST. GEORGE, Utah – Mason Hilty fired a one-hit shutout with nine strikeouts, helping No. 15 Dixie State University complete a three-game sweep of the Montana State University Billings baseball team with a 5-0 loss for the Yellowjackets Sunday afternoon at Bruce Hurst Field. A single by MSUB’s Conner Linebarger in the top of the seventh inning broke up Hilty’s no-hit bid, in which the righty threw 102 pitches. Hilty walked one hitter, and a third reached on a fielding error to represent the only three baserunners of the game for the ‘Jackets. The win for DSU gave the Trailblazers a three-game sweep of MSUB, after defeating the Yellowjackets 6-0 Friday night and 12-8 on Saturday.
DSU is now 11-3 with the win, and has won six games in-a-row. “Dixie is a really good club and they do a lot of little things right,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. The ‘Jackets fell to 2-8 with the loss, and completed a stretch of seven straight games against nationally-ranked opposition. Starter Matt Hape allowed five runs – three earned – on five hits with two strikeouts and six walks in 5 2/3 innings pitched. “Matt was really good today, and he had all his pitches going,” Sutton said. “He walked a few too many, but as far as his strengths on the mound, it’s really encouraging to see him starting to feel healthy and strong.” Hilty retired the first seven Yellowjackets he faced, until Max Hartgraves battled through a seven-pitch plate appearance to earn a one-out walk in the top of the third inning. It was the last baserunner for MSUB until Linebarger’s single, as Hilty went back to work with a string of 13 straight batters retired. Hape matched Hilty zero-for-zero through the first three frames, retiring five in-a-row until he got into trouble with a leadoff walk to Trey Kamachi in the bottom of the fourth. Back-to-back errors by MSUB, an RBI-Groundout by Reece Lucero, and a two-out, RBI-single by Tyler Baker nudged DSU ahead 2-0 before the inning was over. Second baseman Caje Golden snagged a line drive off the bat of Tyler Mildenberg and doubled off the runner to quickly end the fifth inning, but the Blazers struck again with three runs in the sixth.
Senior Bryon Baker had his third scoreless appearance of the year on Sunday, and hasn’t allowed a run in relief this season.
This time, Kamachi led off with a single, stole second, and was driven in on a base hit by Porter. DSU manufactured two more runs with a bunt, and a pair of RBI-singles from Baker and Caleb Feist. Corbin Smith came on for Hape and recorded the final out in the sixth, and totaled one scoreless inning in relief. Tristan Shockley and Bryon Baker combined to keep DSU’s bats quiet the rest of the game, but MSUB had no solution for Hilty on the offensive end. Baker was the only Blazer with multiple hits, as DSU managed just six singles against MSUB’s staff. “Getting out of preseason play, we have been trying to get prepared for league play,” Sutton commented on the Yellowjackets’ final tune-up before league play next week. “I think the team is prepared, and we have been in a lot of ballgames. We are seeing some good things out of club, but we are going to be on the road again so we have go keep focusing on getting better. We have to start doing the little things right, but heading into conference play we are definitely ready.” THE BUZZ: Hape was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game...it was the first time MSUB had been one-hit in a game since May 14, 2011 in a 3-0 loss at Western Oregon…Baker has allowed just two baserunners in 6 1/3
innings pitched this season, with eight strikeouts in his three appearances…senior Zach Robinson had his seven-game hitting streak snapped in the loss…DSU is now 21-3 in the one-sided all-time series. NEXT UP: Great Northwest Athletic Conference play awaits MSUB next week, as the 40-game league schedule begins with a trip to Monmouth, Ore., for a four-game set against Western Oregon University. The ‘Jackets and Wolves are scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain time doubleheaders on both March 4 and March 5. Live video and live statistics will be available for all four games, through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--