FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, March 19, 2016 MSUB splits with Concordia in 2016 home opener Saturday
Adam Cox goes 3-for-5 with three RBIs and strikes out four batters to earn the save in Game 1, but the ‘Jackets are silenced in Game 2 in a doubleheader split with Concordia on Saturday at Dehler Park. BILLINGS, Mont. – Overcoming a large deficit twice proved to be too much for the Montana State University Billings baseball team to accomplish Saturday, as the Yellowjackets rallied from six runs behind to win Game 1 12-11 but lost Game 2 8-1 against Concordia University in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader at Dehler Park. In MSUB’s 2016 home opener, Adam Cox went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a triple, and three RBIs, and then struck out four Cavaliers in 1 2/3 innings of relief to earn the save in Game 1. The ‘Jackets also received a huge, two-out, three-run home run from Luke Reinschmidt, which highlighted a four-run sixth inning as the team overcame an 11-5 deficit in the win. CU’s Austin Hadley was outstanding in Game 2 however, scattering three hits and striking out 11 ‘Jackets in six shutout innings as he pitched the ‘Cavs to a split. The Yellowjackets are now 10-9 overall on the season and 4-6 in GNAC play, while CU is 5-13 overall and 3-5 in conference games.
“We fought in Game 1, and this team is always going to compete and will never give up at the plate,” commented MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “We just gave up a few big innings today, and we need to do a better job there.” Game 1 – MSU Billings 12, Concordia 11 The Yellowjackets rallied to score seven runs in the sixth and seventh innings, enough to overcome an 11-5 deficit and wrestle the first game away from the Cavaliers. CU started hot with a five-run second inning, as the Cavs sent nine batters to the plate. Adam Taylor had a two-run double with the bases loaded, as Yellowjacket starter Tanner Johnson paid for giving up two walks early on. The rally came after Cox’s first hit of the day, as he plated a pair of runs with a double off the base of the wall in straightaway center field in the bottom of the first. Johnson settled down over the next three innings, but the Cavs broke out again in the sixth. Tanner Williams led off with a single to right field, and Cole Crosby ripped a two-run double into right with the bases loaded that made it 7-5. Crosby had a solid day overall for the ‘Cavs, going 2-for-5 with three RBIs in Game 1, and making an incredible, diving catch on the warning track to rob MSUB’s Kyle Durbin of a double in left field. Luke Reinschmidt homered and drove in three runs in a big Game 1 win for the Yellowjackets over the Cavaliers Saturday.
Consecutive singles from Gerhett Moser, Elliot North, and Henry Rondeau loaded the bases again, but Yellowjacket reliever Tanner Watson got out of the jam allowing just one more run as the score read 11-5 in favor of the guests.
With their backs against the wall, the ‘Jackets chipped away in the bottom of the frame as a double by Corey Morris put two runners in scoring position with no outs. The only thing preventing Reinschmidt’s home run from being a grand slam was a wild pitch that allowed all three baserunners to advance 90 feet and pushed the count to 3-1. Having already intentionally walked Reinschmidt in the game, the Cavaliers elected to pitch to the slugger with first base open, and he drilled a towering fly ball off the base of the scoreboard in right center to make the score 11-9. Watson worked around a leadoff walk in the seventh inning, retiring the next three batters and striking out Jarren Goddard and Moser consecutively to end the frame. Colter Sternhagen led off the bottom of the seventh with a base hit into center field, and moved up 90 feet on Morris’s second hit of the game. Having entered the game behind the plate as a defensive replacement, freshman Matt Dillon picked up his first career hit and RBI as he chopped a single into center field and scored Durbin to make it a one-run ballgame. After Myles Berkram drew a walk to load the bases, Zach Robinson delivered a two-run single into left-center that proved to be the winning swing of the bat. Cox was nearly untouchable on the mound, as he took over in the eighth and struck out four of the six batters he faced without allowing a baserunner. “Adam was great,” Bishop said. “He had a fastball on both sides of the plate and a slider, and obviously had a huge day for us at the plate.”
In his toughest start of the year, Johnson allowed nine runs on 10 hits with three walks and three strikeouts in five innings pitched. Watson earned his first victory of the season with no hits allowed in 1 2/3 innings of relief, and Cox picked up his third save of the year. Cavalier reliever Mike Martinez took the loss, allowing eight runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. CU starter Jake Brewer gave up four runs on four hits with three walks in 3 2/3 innings pitched. Game 2 – Concordia 8, MSU Billings 1 If it hadn’t been for a 30-pitch first inning, Hadley would have had a chance to throw his second straight complete game shutout, as he baffled the Yellowjackets through six dominant innings. Five walks drove his pitch count to 119 by the end of the sixth, as he handed the ball off to Ryan Caylor to finish the game. Hadley was coming off of a three-hit shutout against Western Oregon University in his last outing, and nearly achieved the feat again as he struck out 11 Yellowjackets and scattered three hits. MSUB twice loaded the bases against the right-hander and came up empty, as the ‘Jackets left 12 runners on base in the ballgame. Back-to-back walks by MSUB starter Matt Hape signaled disaster in the first inning, and RBIs from Konner Reddick and Moser made it 2-0. Loading the bases with a hit batter, Hape wiggled out of the jam by deflecting a sharp ground ball up the middle to Sternhagen at second base, who just beat Jordan Farhat with a throw to first to end the inning. The ‘Jackets loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame with two walks and a single, but Hadley got out of the long inning with a ground out and set up his team’s offense to rip the game open in the second. A base hit by Taylor to lead off the frame started a six-run rally, as three walks, a hit batter, and an error gave CU all the offense it needed to back their righty’s stellar start.
Freshman right-hander Steen Fredrickson was outstanding in relief on Saturday, striking out four and allowing just two baserunners in four shutdown innings.
CU had just four hits in the ballgame, as relievers Garrett Baldry and Steen Fredrickson combined for six strikeouts and two baserunners over the final 5 2/3 innings. The damage had been done however, as the ‘Jackets were held to their season low of four hits for just the third time this year. Watson had the lone RBI in the game, lining a base hit into center field off of Caylor to score Scott Allison in the seventh. In his second career appearance, Fredrickson had four strikeouts and gave up just two baserunners in four outstanding innings on the mound. “Steen was solid,” said Bishop. “He just throws his off-speed pitch for a strike, and he pitched well for us today.”
Hape took the loss for MSUB, allowing five runs with four walks and two hit batters in 1 1/3 innings in the start. THE BUZZ: Cox was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…Kevin Toon pushed his GNAC-leading walks total to 18 as he drew two more on the day…Lee Busto appeared in both games to move into a tie for eighth in the GNAC record books for career appearances with 66. NEXT UP: The series concludes on Sunday with another 9-inning/7-inning doubleheader at Dehler Park. First pitch is schedule for 1 p.m., with live video and statistics available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--