FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Saturday, March 26, 2016 Wild win over Wolves on walkoff walk
Kyle Durbin draws a bases-loaded walk with two outs in the seventh inning to push MSUB to a wild 8-7 victory over Western Oregon in Game 2 as the teams split a doubleheader on Saturday at Dehler Park. BILLINGS, Mont. – With the Montana State University Billings baseball team two outs from victory in the top of the seventh inning on Saturday night at Dehler Park against Western Oregon University, Yellowjacket third baseman Kyle Durbin watched as the 6-4 lead began to slip away from the ‘Jackets. A towering popup on the infield by WOU’s Trevor Podratz landed untouched, despite a last-second diving attempt from the senior third baseman. The Wolves rallied to score three runs and take a 7-6 lead after that, threatening to steal Game 2 and complete a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader sweep. But after Adam Cox led off the bottom of the seventh with his second double of the game, the ‘Jackets tied the score and loaded the bases with two outs. Durbin got his redemption, and lifted MSUB to a tough, 8-7 win in Game 2. Fresh into the game was Koty Fallon, who fell behind Durbin 3-0 as pressure mounted. The left-handed hitting third baseman laid off Fallon’s fourth delivery of the game, and beat his teammates in a race to first base as they poured out of the third-base dugout and mobbed him behind the bag.
“Everybody before me did a good job setting the table, so at that point it was just a matter of if he was going to find the zone,” Durbin said on the final plate appearance of the day. “Fortunately for us he was pretty sporadic and couldn’t find the zone, and it ended up working out for us.” The much-needed victory came after WOU’s ace Brady Miller shut down the ‘Jackets in Game 1, combining with Darrien Moran to throw a three-hit shutout in a 10-0 win for the Wolves. “They pitched extremely well in the first game and took it to us,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “Our theme was that we just needed to answer back. When things don’t go well, we need to bounce back right away, and I was really happy with the amount of fight that we showed.” Boasting an electric slider from the very first pitch of the ballgame, Yellowjacket senior right-hander Tanner Johnson turned in one of his strongest starts of the year with 10 strikeouts, allowing six hits in 6 1/3 innings pitched in Game 2. Johnson kept the Wolves off balance throughout the game, but six wild pitches gave WOU enough free bases to make their hits count as all five runs Johnson allowed were earned. Luke Reinschmidt went 3-for-6 on the day with an RBI, and Cox and freshman Matt Dillon each had a pair of hits in Game 2 for the ‘Jackets. MSUB is now 12-11 overall and 6-8 in GNAC play, while Western Oregon moves to 10-12 overall and 57 in conference games. The series closes on Sunday morning with a 10:30 a.m. first pitch, as a single, nine-inning game is on tap at Dehler Park. Game 1 – Western Oregon 10, MSU Billings 0 The Yellowjackets were shut out for the first time since a 5-0 loss against the Wolves last season on April 18 at Dehler Park, as Miller improved to 5-0 on the year and came as advertised as he lowered his ERA below its already microscopic level of 0.82 entering the day. Miller had to work to earn the win, throwing 140 pitches in 5 2/3 innings. The reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year had six strikeouts, but the ‘Jackets drew six walks to drive up his pitch count and stranded nine runners on base as the home team had a handful of opportunities. WOU gave Miller all the run support he needed in the top of the first inning, when Nick Snyder launched a three-run home run over the fence in right field to make it 3-0. Catcher Brandon Oliver drove in a run in the second, and plated another in the sixth inning, as the Wolves nudged ahead 6-0. Corey Morris throws to Kyle Durbin at third after a nice backhanded pickup deep in the hole at short to end the inning by nailing the lead runner in Game 1 for the ‘Jackets.
With the game already out of reach, Marcus Madden and Brock Pradere put the finishing touches on the offensive outburst for the Wolves in the seventh inning. Madden ripped a bases-loaded triple off the wall in left field, and Pradere followed with a two-run home run to left to bring the score to 10-0 late.
The Yellowjackets played solid defense in the opening ballgame, as a double play by Durbin in the fifth inning highlighted the strong glove work in Game 1. With two runners on and no outs, Durbin stood tough on a bullet off the bat of Cody Sullivan, stepped on third base and firing a strike to Kevin Toon at first to help freshman Garrett Baldry out of a jam. Baldry was one of six pitchers used by the ‘Jackets in the first game, as he allowed one run on two hits in 1 1/3 innings pitched. Bryon Baker did not allow a hit in two scoreless frames, as he kept the score at 4-0 into the fifth inning. Freshman Brandon Maassen made his debut for the ‘Jackets in the ninth, retiring the side in order and chalking up his first career strikeout. Tanner Watson took the loss for MSUB, allowing four runs on one hit with four walks in 1 2/3 innings in the start. Moran took over for Miller in the sixth, and gave up just one hit and one walk in the final 3 1/3 innings while striking out four Yellowjackets to earn the save. Game 2 – MSU Billings 8, Western Oregon 7 Durbin walked off as the hero but Cox had the two biggest at bats of the game for the ‘Jackets, twice doubling in key situations to set up the win. After Johnson gave up four runs in the top of the fifth inning, Cox delivered a clutch, two-out, two-run double off the wall in right-center to even the score at 4-4. The ‘Jackets capitalized on a fielding miscue to extend the inning and take a 6-4 lead. An RBI-single by Snyder, a wild pitch, and a passed ball put the ‘Jackets in big trouble in the top of the seventh inning, as Cox watched the lead he helped build at the plate slip away as MSUB flirted with disaster. Finally getting out of the seventh with a foul-out, Cox wasted no time in the bottom of the frame as he blasted the first pitch off the wall in the right-field corner and raced into second base. A sacrifice fly by Corey Morris plated Cox, and MSUB worked the bases loaded after that with two outs to set the stage for Durbin’s game-winning plate appearance.
Senior Tanner Johnson had an electric slider on Saturday, striking out 10 Wolves and helping MSUB walk away with an 8-7 victory.
Johnson indicated that his right arm was live from the start, recording the first four outs of the ballgame by way of the strikeout. The senior reigning first-team all-GNAC pick went to the slider in all counts, stealing strike one and coaxing feeble half-swings for strike three as he blanked WOU through four innings. The lead began to slip away in the fifth inning, as five straight Wolves reached base. The big swing of the bat came from Oliver, as he laced a two-run single into center field that gave the visitors their first lead of the ballgame 3-2. Forrest Garcia raced home from third on one of Johnson’s six wild pitches, and before the ‘Jackets could blink they trailed 4-2.
With one out in the bottom of the frame, Durbin drew his first walk of the ballgame and started a game-saving, four-run rally to get the ‘Jackets back into it. Johnson worked around a leadoff single by Kyle Vanderkin in the top of the sixth, slapping his hand into his glove after two straight strikeouts to end the frame and get the ‘Jackets back into the dugout quickly. Riding the adrenaline, the senior froze Garcia with a nasty slider on the outside corner for a strikeout to start the seventh, but the ‘Jackets opened the door with the botched infield popup after that. Snyder had another RBI-single, and Pradere scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball as the ‘Jackets looked on in disbelief while WOU took the lead. Avoiding extra innings, Dillon reached on an error at second base, and Landon Peterson and Myles Berkram each drew walks to load the bases, before Durbin’s game winner. Vanderkin was stellar all over the diamond for the Wolves all day long, as he finished the day with three hits at the plate. Defensively at third, he stole a double from Sternhagen with a strong backhanded play down the line, took away a single from Durbin with a diving stop to his left on a sharp grounder, and twice made heads-up plays to catch the lead runners for the ‘Jackets at third base in big situations. WOU starter Garrett Alvarez allowed four earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts and four walks in five innings, while Jacob Fricke took the loss as he was responsible for the game-winner that was let in by Fallon. THE BUZZ: Durbin was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…it was the first walkoff win of the season for the Yellowjackets…Lee Busto made his 68th career appearance, moving him into sole possession of seventh place in the GNAC record books. NEXT UP: The brief, three-game series concludes on Easter Sunday, with a single, nine-inning game at 10:30 a.m. The fourth and final game of the series will be made up in late April, as part of the originally-scheduled four-game series in Monmouth, Ore., at the WOU baseball field. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--