FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Sunday, April 24, 2016 ‘Jackets keep pace in GNAC standings with doubleheader sweep of Concordia
Scoring 19 total runs on Sunday, MSUB completes a doubleheader sweep and 3-1 series win over Concordia University to keep pace in the conference standings with two series remaining on the schedule. PORTLAND, Ore. – Luke Reinschmidt and Kyle Durbin combined to reach base in 13 of 22 plate appearances, score eight runs, and drive in four more to pace a Montana State University Billings offense that scored 19 runs in a doubleheader sweep of Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Concordia University Sunday afternoon at Porter Park. Reinschmidt hit the very first pitch of the day over the right-field fence for his seventh home run of the year, and added a pair of doubles in Game 1. Durbin had his first-ever five-hit game in the opener, including a double, and drew a pair of walks in Game 2. Cody Cooper set MSUB up to win with a strong start in Game 1, and Matt Hape tossed his third complete game of the year in the 9-4 Game 2 victory. The ‘Jackets withstood a five-run, ninth-inning rally by the ‘Cavs that tied the score in Game 1, plating one run in the top of the 10th to win 10-9.
“Our offense was much better today,” said MSUB head coach Rob Bishop. “Our guys found a lot of barrels and had a great approach for most of the day. Cody and Matt were both good on the mound today and gave us a chance to win two games.” MSUB is now 21-17 overall and 15-14 in conference play to sit in fourth place. The ‘Jackets are three games back of Central Washington (18-14 GNAC) in the win column, and need to surpass the Wildcats in the final nine games of the season to get into the GNAC Championships. Concordia moves to 13-29 overall and 11-21 in the GNAC for fifth place. Game 1 – MSU Billings 10, Concordia 9 (10 Innings) The ‘Jackets let a 9-4 lead entering the ninth inning slip away, as the Cavaliers rallied with three hits and three walks in the bottom of the ninth to tie the score. Durbin led off the 10th with a base hit into right field however, and a walk drawn by Colter Sternhagen followed a pair of hit batters to bring the winning run across the plate. After getting touched up in the ninth, reliever Adam Cox retired the side in order in the 10th with two strikeouts to seal the victory. Cooper took a no-decision, despite striking out six and allowing just four runs in 6 2/3 innings to set MSUB up for the win. Durbin was 5-for-6 in Game 1 and Reinschmidt went 3-for-6 with three runs scored. Durbin followed Reinschmidt’s home run with a double, and Corey Morris and Sternhagen had RBIsingles in a three-run first inning. The ‘Jackets added another run in the second, as Reinschmidt doubled and Durbin brought him home with a base hit the other way into left field.
Kyle Durbin had his first career 5-hit game and second of the season for the Yellowjackets in their 10-9 Game 1 win Sunday.
Sophomore Landon Peterson helped squash a threat in the bottom of the inning, as he caught CU’s Tanner Williams stealing second, and Cooper worked around a pair of singles to put up another zero.
After a quick top of the third inning by CU starter Gerhett Moser, Adam Taylor led off the bottom of the inning with a base hit to center. Konner Reddick punched a two-run single into right field with one out in the inning, cutting the deficit to two runs at 4-2. MSUB responded in the fourth however, as Cox picked up his first of four RBIs on the day on a sacrifice fly that scored Reinschmidt. With a 5-2 lead, Cooper settled into a groove and didn’t allow a run in the fourth-through-sixth innings. A 6-4-3 double play turned by Morris, Sternhagen, and Tanner Watson helped Cooper end the fifth inning, and the junior posted a 1-2-3 sixth.
Sternhagen lifted a sacrifice fly to right field for a run in the seventh, but the ‘Cavs hung in there and made it a 6-4 ballgame with two runs in the bottom of the inning. Trent Calmer blasted a two-run double to center field, and after Cooper struck out the next batter he handed the ball off to Cox with two outs. A two-run single to center by Myles Berkram and an RBI-base hit by Peterson capped a three-run rally in the top of the ninth, as MSUB appeared to be on its way to a win up 9-4. Cox was able to shake off the big inning by CU’s offense, and the ‘Jackets held on for a crucial victory. Cox threw the final 3 1/3 innings, and had four strikeouts and three walks with five runs on three hits. Alberto Bulcao took the loss for CU, as he surrendered four runs on six hits with one walk and one strikeout in three relief innings. Ryan Caylor got the final two outs of the game for the ‘Cavs in the 10th. Reddick had three of CU’s 11 hits and also had a team-high three RBIs in the game. Alec Leighton joined Morris, Durbin, and Reinschmidt as the four players with multiple hits in the first game of the day. Game 2 – MSU Billings 9, Concordia 4 (7 Innings) The ‘Cavs took the lead in the bottom of the first, but it came at the cost of two outs as the ‘Jackets turned a double play while Cole Crosby scored. The lead didn’t last long, as Watson kicked off a five-run, second-inning rally with a leadoff single. Peterson had an RBI-walk, and Reinschmidt beat out the back end of a double play to earn an RBI on a ground out. Cox and Morris delivered huge, two-out singles that added three more runs, as the ‘Jackets took command up 5-1. Hape responded with a shutdown inning in the bottom of the second, pitching around a leadoff double with a pair of flyouts sandwiched by a strikeout. He was rewarded with one run each in the third, fourth, and fifth innings, as the junior continued to put up zeroes and watched as his lead grew to 8-1. MSUB scored its final run of the day in the top of the seventh, when Cox ripped an RBI-single into right field to plate Peterson.
Junior Matt Hape threw his third complete game of the season to lead MSUB to a series-clinching 9-4 win in Game 4 against Concordia Sunday.
Hape did not allow a baserunner past second base after CU’s first-inning run through the next five innings. The ‘Cavs put together a three-run rally in the bottom of the seventh, but Hape withstood the scoring and put a stamp on the win with another complete game.
The junior struck out three and walked three, allowing four runs on 10 hits. CU used four pitchers in the series finale, with starter Sean Moran allowing five runs on four hits and four walks in 1 2/3 innings and taking the loss.
Three players for CU had multiple hits in the second game, while Cox led MSUB going 3-for-5 with three RBIs. Watson added a pair of hits to push his line in the doubleheader to 3-for-8, and Sternhagen crossed the plate three times in Game 2. THE BUZZ: Reinschmidt was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…the five-hit game was the first of Durbin’s career with MSUB, and it was his second game with at least four hits…it was the second five-hit game of the season and eighth in program history for the ‘Jackets…Durbin is now second in the GNAC in hitting with an average of .371…with his five runs scored on the day Reinschmidt is now 13th in GNAC history with 112 in his career…Reinschmidt is also now tied for 17th in conference history with 175 career hits, and is eighth in career RBIs with 119…with six strikeouts Cooper is now one away from tying the MSUB single-season record of 79 held by 2015 graduate Brady Muller…Cooper remains third in the MSUB record books with 136 career strikeouts, needing seven more to match second-place Brian Howe (2008-11). AHEAD: MSUB remains on the West Coast for five games against Western Oregon University, with a single, 7-inning makeup game on Wednesday and a regular, four-game GNAC series running Friday and Saturday in Monmouth, Ore. Wednesday’s game will start at 3 p.m. Mountain time, while both weekend doubleheaders are set to start at 2 p.m. Mountain time. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--