Jackets, Aggies Split Wins (4/22/06)
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Score 1
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Score 2
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BILLINGS, MT – After sweeping
Oklahoma Panhandle in Friday’s doubleheader, the Montana
State-Billings baseball team split wins with the Aggies Saturday, taking the first game 7-3 and dropping the second game 7-5.
The Yellowjackets are now 13-29 overall and 11-21 in league
play. The Aggies improved to 5-41 and 4-28 in the Heartland
Conference.
Reminiscent of the four games
played in Goodwell, Oklahoma earlier in the season, the Jackets
took three of the four-game series for a total 6-2 record
against the Aggies this year. Saturday’s first game started out
with pitcher David
Ducharme (Sr., Hamilton, MT) seating three Aggies in a row.
In the Jackets' first turn at bat Kyle Pryor (Jr., Billings, MT) was walked. Taking advantage of the free base, Pryor took the liberty to steal second and third
bases. The two remaining batters were unable to capitalize on
Pryor’s speed, ending the inning 0-0.
“We played well defensively
and got some timely hits in the first game,” said Yellowjacket
head coach Chris Brown. “David (Ducharme) did a fine job
pitching and Kevin (Roberts) came in for the save. Mike (Wardell)
and Kyle (Slater) really came through for us today at the
plate.”
The Aggies advanced runners
and were able to score three runs in the third inning on
untimely Jacket errors. Three Aggies were walked before Brock
Hixenbaugh’s fly out to center field ended the inning. The
Jackets evened the score at three runs apiece in the bottom of
the third. Kyle Slater (Jr., Missoula, MT) singled to right field
bringing in Mike
Wardell (So., Billings, MT), and Luke
Sansaver (Jr., Wolf Point, MT) for two RBI. Slater would
later score on Matt
Kakalecik’s (Fr., Great Falls, MT) single.
The Jackets put
an exclamation point to game one in the bottom of the fourth
when Willie Crtalic (Jr., Billings, MT) drilled a double to left
field. Wardell’s next at bat earned him a single and an RBI as
Crtalic crossed home plate. Slater hit a timely double, the
second of the inning for the Jackets, bringing in Nick Hoskyn (Jr., Oelwein, IA), and Wardell for the 6-3 lead. Wardell put a
nice touch on the Jackets' win hitting his second triple of the
season that would later bring him home after Hoskyn hit a
sacrifice fly to right field.
Ducharme took the win for the
Jackets pitching 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs off two
hits, striking out three. Kevin
Roberts (Jr., Terry, MT) came in for the save giving up just
one hit in the final 1 2/3 innings. Wardell went 3-for-4, scoring
three runs and one RBI with Slater going 2-for-4 with one run
and four RBI.
The second dual of the day
would prove to be a struggle even though the Jackets got on the
scoreboard first. The Yellowjackets had the lead until the
fifth inning. After a total of four walked batters, one error and
two passed balls, the Aggies took the 7-4 lead. A pitching
change for the Jackets proved helpful. Jon Clark (Jr., Anaconda, MT) struck out the next two batters to end the
inning. The Jackets attempted the rally comeback in the fifth
with Wardell scoring on Jake
Samuelson’s (Jr., Helena, MT) single. It wasn’t enough and
the Jackets finished the day with a split.
Both Sansaver and Wardell went
2-for-3 with a run. Sansaver also drove in one RBI. Ben Lewerke (Jr., Mason City, IA) took the loss allowing five runs off 10
hits in four innings of work.
“We needed to throw strikes in
the second game and it didn’t happen,” added Brown. “We weren’t
able to execute well enough and it hurt us in the end. Now we
will focus on our games against St. Mary’s next weekend. They
are a good ball club and we are hoping to give them a run for
their money. We are playing well and it should be some good
baseball.”
The Jackets will next face St.
Mary’s (29-12, 21-7) April 28 and 29 at Cobb Field. First pitch
of both Friday and Saturday’s doubleheaders is scheduled for
3:00 p.m. Friday is Faculty/Staff Appreciation Day. Those with
a current MSUB faculty or staff ID will be admitted free along
with their families. |
