2 wins give MSUB baseball series over Concordia

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Sunday, March 19, 2017 2 wins give MSUB baseball series over Concordia

A wild Sunday afternoon winds up with a walk-off single by Andrew Schleusner to cap off a doubleheader sweep for MSUB’s baseball team and a series win over GNAC opponent Concordia.

BILLINGS, Mont. – Andrew Schleusner ended a wild day of baseball at two different parks in Billings on Sunday, driving in Casey Merritt with a walk-off base hit in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Montana State University Billings baseball team a doubleheader sweep and series victory over Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Concordia University.

MSUB defeated CU 6-3 in the opener at Dehler Park, before wet conditions put a two-hour delay between the first and second games. Changing locations to Pirtz Park for the series finale, the ‘Jackets overcame a 4-3 deficit entering the final inning and gave Bryon Baker his third win of the year as Schleusner’s single finalized the comeback, 5-4.

Merritt went 4-for-7 in the doubleheader, with two runs scored and an RBI for the ‘Jackets. Baker and sophomore Steen Fredrickson were the top pitchers on the day for the ‘Jackets, the latter throwing a career-high 4 2/3 innings of relief to earn the victory in Game 1.

“A big message we have had all season long is just being resilient, and they showed up ready to go in Game 4,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “It was really big to have Bryon go out and throw another great game, and it was neat to see the freshman Schleusner get it done late.

We try to put our guys in positions to succeed, and (winning) is about going out and executing.”

The wins elevated MSUB to a mark of 8-13 on the year, and the team jumped above .500 in GNAC play at 6-5. The ‘Cavs meanwhile fell to 516 overall, and are now 3-8 in league games to start the season.

Game 1 – MSU Billings 6, Concordia 3 CU stranded a dozen baserunners in the game, and could not take advantage of 12 walks issued as MSUB’s pitching staff found its way out of trouble time and time again.

Kade Hall plated the first run of the game with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, and scored on an RBI-single by Cox after he doubled to lead off the fourth. Schleusner’s first RBI of the day also came in the fourth inning, as he brought home Cox with a sacrifice bunt and helped the ‘Jackets take a 3-0 lead.

Sophomore Steen Fredrickson threw a career-high 4 2/3 innings of relief and had a career-best five strikeouts in Game 1 Sunday.

As a steady rainfall overtook the playing surface at Dehler Park, a hit batter to start the fifth signaled trouble for the Yellowjackets. Cole Crosby followed with a double, and Andrew Barrera clubbed a gametying, three-run home run over the fence in left to make the score 3-3.

Fredrickson inherited a situation with two runners on and no outs, and buckled down to retire the next three Cavaliers and stop the rally at three runs.

The ‘Jackets regained the lead in the bottom of the sixth, when Merritt rolled a base hit into left field for an RBI and Jalen Garcia fought a pitch into shallow center field in the next at bat to score another. Fredrickson meanwhile allowed just one baserunner each in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings, receiving help from his defense in the form of an inning-ending 4-6-3 double play in the eighth.

Conner Linebarger added another layer of security with a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth, before the ‘Cavs attempted a final rally in the ninth. Being called upon to close the door with the bases loaded and two outs, junior Talon Derrick struck out Gabe Padukiewicz on a 2-2 pitch to earn his first save of the year and seal the win.

Fredrickson had a career-best five strikeouts, and allowed just one hit while throwing 91 pitches. Matt Hape started the game, giving up no runs on two hits with one strikeout and six walks in three innings.

For the ‘Cavs, Sam Gillenwater and Tucker Parker combined to go the distance, each allowing three runs on four hits.

Mitch Bevacqua was 3-for-4 in Game 1 for CU, and all six of the team’s hits came from the top-four hitters in the lineup.

Merritt and Linebarger were the two Yellowjackets with multiple hits in the opening game, and six different players had an RBI. Game 2 – MSU Billings 5, Concordia 4 (7 Innings) A two-hour wait and a relocation didn’t phase Baker, as the senior right-hander threw his second straight complete game to improve to 3-0 on the season. Baker had five strikeouts and just one walk, and only two of the four runs he surrendered went down as earned in the nightcap. “We just had to stay focused and locked in to get that series win, and we knew how important it was,” Baker commented on the long wait between games. “It was a great game, and I just tried to go out and compete the best I could.”

With MSUB trailing 5-4, Zach Robinson led off the top of the seventh with a walk, and a wild throw by CU’s pitcher on a bunt by Merritt allowed each runner to move up three bases to set up the dramatic finish. Schleusner wasted no time in ending the game, drilling the first pitch back up the middle and waiting as his teammates streaked out of the third-base dugout to mob him behind the bag at first.

Freshman Andrew Schleusner ended the series Sunday night with a walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh in Game 2.

Eddie Vasquez, who helped CU win with a three-run homer in Game 1 on Saturday, broke a 3-3 tie with an RBIgroundout in the top of the seventh inning. Before he kick-started the rally in the bottom of the inning, Robinson made a game-saving catch at the wall with two outs in the top of the frame as he tracked down a deep fly ball off the bat of Tanner Williams.

Baker and CU starter James Brooks engaged in a pitcher’s duel over the first two innings, each allowing just two baserunners. Baker stranded a runner on third base in the top of the third, ending the frame with an emphatic punchout on a 3-2 pitch.

MSUB responded by taking its first lead of the game, as a throwing error by the ‘Cavs turned Merritt’s single into a twobase hit with two runners aboard. Hall roped a two-out, RBI-double into the left-field corner that scored Robinson, and Baker tossed up a shutdown inning in the top of the fourth.

Bevacqua came through with an RBI-groundout in the top of the fifth, and a wild pitch allowed Crosby to score the game-tying run and make the score 2-2. Matt Dillon broke the tie with a clutch, pinch-hit RBI-single with two outs in the bottom of the fifth, but Bevacqua robbed Cox of a hit on a sinking line drive into right and doubled off the runner at second to end the Yellowjackets’ scoring threat.

For the second day in a row, a botched squeeze play went against the Yellowjackets, although this time it was on the defensive end. After a missed bunt attempt, MSUB had Williams stranded off of third base, but a late, errant throw allowed the tying run to score in the bottom of the sixth inning.

MSUB overcame the mishap however, responding in the seventh inning and ending its home-opening series with a victory.

Andrew Marriott tossed two innings in relief for the ‘Cavs, and Scott Schepige took the loss by allowing the final two runs to cross the plate.

Bruin Campbell went 2-for-4 for CU in Game 2, while Merritt was the only ‘Jacket with multiple hits at 2-for-3.

THE BUZZ: Merritt was tabbed the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…the series win is the second in-a-row for MSUB, after the ‘Jackets beat Saint Martin’s 3-1 on the road last week…MSUB made two errors on the day, while the ‘Cavs had four.

AHEAD: MSUB remains at home with a four-game series against GNAC opponent Northwest Nazarene scheduled for next weekend at Dehler Park. Doubleheaders are set for 1 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday, and live video with play-byplay commentary and live statistics will be available online via MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.

--@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--