Yellowjackets sweep CU, take season series 6-2

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, April 28, 2017 Yellowjackets sweep CU, take season series 6-2

MSUB’s baseball team sweeps Concordia in a doubleheader Friday, claiming the season series 6-2 and inching closer to wrapping up a berth in the 2017 GNAC Baseball Championships.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Cody Cooper punched out 11 Concordia University batters in Game 1 on Friday at Porter Park, and the Montana State University Billings baseball team held on for a narrow win in Game 2 to sweep a Great Northwest Athletic Conference doubleheader.

Cooper pitched into the 10th inning for the first time in his career, and moved to No. 5 in GNAC history by pushing his career strikeout total to 228. He is now just four strikeouts away from matching the MSUB record of 232 held by Brady Muller, and the ‘Jackets rallied for three runs in the 11th to win the opener 6-3. “Once Cody settled down, his breaking ball had serious depth,” said MSUB head coach Aaron Sutton. “He threw it for a strike, and in the dirt, and pitched well to his strengths. Anytime he has his breaking ball and split going, we know he is going to have a good day. He really exposed their hitters late.”

MSUB (20-26, 18-18 GNAC) then held onto a 3-2 lead in Game 2, recording the final out with the tying run in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh inning. “Our guys responded well, and they’re a resilient group,” said Sutton, hinting at the team’s three straight wins after a Game 1 loss for the second series in-a-row. “Nothing changed this weekend, and they had trust in one another, and confidence in their ability to get it done. The series came down to us doing small things correctly and getting timely hits, and it feels good to walk out of here getting three of four.”

The Cavaliers dropped to 12-34 overall on the year, and remain in sixth place in the GNAC standings at 10-26 in league play. Gabe Padukiewicz was the lone Cavalier with three hits in the doubleheader at the plate.

Conner Linebarger had three hits for MSUB on the day, and Ryan Myers’ team-leading 11th home run of the year counted as the game-winning hit for the ‘Jackets in Game 2. “Ryan had good at-bats all weekend, but didn’t have a lot to show for it,” Sutton said. “He sat on a breaking ball, got it up, and it is hard to get a ball out of this park so that was a big moment for us.”

Game 1 – MSU Billings 6, Concordia 3 Freshman Jalen Garcia had a pair of RBIs in MSUB’s Game 1 win Friday.

Cooper’s longest career outing helped set the team up for victory, as he pitched into the 10th inning for the first time ever as a Yellowjacket.

Concordia struck first on a two-run home run by Mitch Bevacqua in the bottom of the opening frame. The Cavaliers scratched across one more run against Cooper in the third, on an RBI-single by Nick Padukiewicz to give his team a 3-2 advantage.

The senior righty was dominant the rest of his outing however, allowing just one runner past first base – on an error – and retiring 16 in-a-row in the fourth-through-ninth innings. Cooper’s confidence grew as the game progressed, as he picked up six of his 11 strikeouts in the final four innings of his outing.

Cooper finished with 131 pitches, exiting after allowing a leadoff single in the top of the 10th inning. Jared Winslow took over, and calmly worked out of a bases-loaded jam by striking out Padukiewicz and setting up the Yellowjackets’ gamewinning rally in the top of the 11th.

Pinch hitter Adam Cox drew a leadoff walk, and an RBI-single by Caje Golden gave the ‘Jackets a lead that ended up holding up. An ensuing throwing error by the ‘Cavs, and a two-out, RBI-single by Zach Robinson increased MSUB’s lead to 6-3, and gave Winslow a cushion for the bottom of the frame.

The sophomore right-hander dealt with a walk and a single, stranding both runners and retiring the side to seal the win.

Winslow allowed just one hit in his two scoreless innings of work, and struck out a pair while throwing 43 pitches.

CU starter Jake Brewer and relief man Tucker Parker combined to match Cooper’s effectiveness over the first 10 innings, as the duo allowed just three runs and struck out eight moving into the 11th inning.

The Yellowjackets evened the score at 2-2 in the third inning, taking advantage of an error and picking up an RBI-groundout by Jalen Garcia for two runs in the frame. Garcia had another RBI-groundout in the fifth inning, but it was the last of the scoring for the visitors until their gamewinning rally in the 11th.

The ‘Jackets put a pair of runners on in the sixth, but Parker followed with a string of 14 consecutive outs until the leadoff walk in the 11th.

Robinson and Linebarger each had a pair of hits for the ‘Jackets in the opener, while eight different Cavaliers had a hit apiece.

Game 2 – MSU Billings 3, Concordia 2 (7 Innings) The ‘Cavs put the tying run into scoring position with one out, but Michael Gahan picked up a huge strikeout and game-ending ground ball to seal the narrow win for the ‘Jackets.

Starter Tanner Watson had a career-high six strikeouts in his six innings of work, scattering seven hits and allowing just one earned run while throwing 95 pitches. “Tanner has really gotten stronger as the year has gone on, and it’s exciting to see him throwing his best at the end of the season and his career,” said Sutton. “He is a guy who just competes, and he’s gone through arm problems, but he is giving everything he has to this group.”

Ryan Myers smoked his team-leading 11th home run of the year over the fence in left for the game-winning hit in the series finale Friday.

MSUB once again came from behind to win the game, as CU led 2-0 after the third inning. Isiah Terry had both RBIs in the game for the ‘Cavs, with an RBI-groundout in the bottom of the first, and an infield single in the third.

CU starter Tyler Charlton allowed just one baserunner his first time through the lineup, blanking the Yellowjackets through three innings of play. Cox got MSUB on the board with a sacrifice fly in the fourth inning, but CU’s starter retired the side in the fifth and moved his team six outs away from a win.

With Casey Merritt on first and two outs in the sixth inning, Myers delivered a game-changing two-run shot over the leftfield fence that gave MSUB the lead for good.

CU got the tying run to third with two outs in the sixth, but Watson ended the threat with a big strikeout to strand runners at the corners and keep the score at 3-2.

Gahan was summoned after a leadoff walk to start the seventh, and retired the next three hitters he faced to earn his first collegiate save on the mound.

Charlton took the loss despite a solid complete-game effort, as he notched three strikeouts and zero walks while giving up just five hits.

THE BUZZ: Cooper was tabbed as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Day…Cooper’s previous career high for innings pitched was 9.0, which he achieved four times…all other 9-inning outings by Cooper were complete games…it was the

senior’s eighth-career 10-strikeout performance…Robinson tied the MSUB single-season records for steals, upping his total to 17 to match the mark set by Kyle Pryor in the 2007 season…Friday marked the second straight time MSUB clinched a series win over CU in the finale by the margin of one run, after a 5-4, walk-off win in Billings on March 19…MSUB is 12-7 all-time against CU…the ‘Jackets need two wins against Central Washington next week to guarantee their GNAC tournament berth, but can also clinch a spot sooner than that if Saint Martin’s loses one of its eight remaining games against Northwest Nazarene, Western Oregon, and Concordia.

COMING UP: The final regular-season series is scheduled for next weekend at Dehler Park, as the Yellowjackets host Central Washington University in a four-game set. Doubleheaders are scheduled for 1 p.m. next Friday and Saturday, and MSUB’s six graduating seniors will be honored prior to the action on Day 2 of the series. Live video with play-by-play commentary and live statistics will be available for all games online through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.

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