Wolves snag doubleheader from ‘Jackets in GNAC opener

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, March 4, 2017 Wolves snag doubleheader from ‘Jackets in GNAC opener

Western Oregon uses a three-run seventh inning to ensure a victory in Game 1, before grinding out a 3-2 win in Game 2 of the first doubleheader of the GNAC season on Saturday.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Western Oregon University held off the Montana State University Billings baseball team in Game 2 of a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday, as the Wolves won both games over the ‘Jackets at Porter Park.

A late rally by MSUB in Game 1 came up short, as the Wolves built a strong lead and added on for a 9-4 victory. WOU then held off another final push from MSUB in the nightcap, with Cam Walker striking out the final hitter with the tying run in scoring position to seal a 3-2 win for the Wolves.

MSUB fell to 2-10 overall and 0-2 in the GNAC with the losses. The Wolves are now 3-3 on the young season, and are off to a 2-0 start in league play. “Matt threw well tonight in Game 2, and kept us in the ballgame,” said MSUB head coach

Aaron Sutton, referring to starter Matt Hape. “We just aren’t doing the small things right now that it takes for a ball club to have success. Offensively, we had some opportunities in the first game, but we didn’t come up with the big hit.”

Game 1 – Western Oregon 9, MSU Billings 4 A three-run seventh inning got MSUB within a single run, down 5-4, but Western Oregon put the opener away with a three spot of their own in the bottom of the frame and an insurance run in the eighth. Casey Merritt had an RBI-single in the big frame for the ‘Jackets, and Kade Hall provided the biggest swing of the day with a two-run triple with two outs.

WOU’s Brady Miller, the reigning GNAC Pitcher of the Year, struck out nine and gave up just one run on three hits in six strong innings.

Nyles Nygaard and Jay Leverett each had three RBIs in Game 1, and Joey Crunkilton went 2-for-3 with a double, triple, RBI, run scored, and two walks in WOU’s third spot in the lineup.

The Wolves manufactured their first run of the game with a walk, sacrifice bunt, and the first hit of the day from Crunkilton.

The ‘Jackets scratched a run back in the top of the third, as Zach Robinson walked and stole third, before scoring on a groundout

by Adam Cox. MSUB starter Cody Cooper walked Jacob Martinez to start the bottom of the inning however, and a sacrifice fly by Nygaard and a wild pitch plated two more runs for WOU. Miller gritted his way out of a bases-loaded situation in the fourth, striking out a pair of Yellowjackets to overcome a dropped fly ball and a walk and put up another zero.

A two-out walk in the fifth ended Cooper’s day, the senior finishing with three runs allowed on three hits with two strikeouts and five walks in 3 2/3 innings. The Wolves continued to add to their lead, with RBI-singles from Leverett and Martinez in the bottom of the sixth to make the score 5-1.

The deficit proved to be too large for MSUB to recover from, and Nygaard’s two-out single in the bottom of the eighth added another layer of security for the Wolves’ bullpen.

Garrett Baldry tossed one inning in relief for the ‘Jackets in Game 1 Saturday.

Kade Mechals got all five outs by way of the strikeout over the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing only one baserunner on a walk.

Game 2 – Western Oregon 3, MSU Billings 2 (7 Innings) Cox delivered a two-out, two-run double in the top of the seventh to supply MSUB’s first runs of the ballgame, but he was stranded on second base as the ‘Jackets came up just shy of tying the score late.

Elias Bedolla, Shawn Domke, and Cam Walker combined to beat the ‘Jackets on the mound, the first two allowing just six hits through the first six innings of the game.

Hape was similarly impressive in 5 1/3 innings, striking out four and giving up three runs on five hits with three walks.

Jared Winslow got the final two outs of the game for the ‘Jackets, including one strikeout.

Nygaard was again behind the offense for WOU, giving the team a 1-0 lead with an RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning. It was all the offense for either team until a one-out, two-run single by Hunter Johnson made it 3-0 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Robinson and Merritt each had a pair of hits for the ‘Jackets, who left seven runners on base in the game. Koty Fallon was the only WOU player with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with a run scored.

THE BUZZ: Hape was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Cooper moved to No. 7 in GNAC history with 177 career strikeouts…WOU moved to 60-19 all-time against MSUB after the two losses for the ‘Jackets.

COMING UP: The series wraps up on Monday in Newberg, Ore., at George Fox University. The ‘Jackets and Wolves are scheduled for an 11 a.m. Pacific time doubleheader at Morse Athletic Complex.

--@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--