Yellowjacket Baseball Swept by St. Edward’s (3/2/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score

AUSTIN, TX-  The Montana State-Billings baseball team dropped two games to unbeaten Heartland Conference opponent St. Edward’s University Friday in Austin, Texas.  The Yellowjackets fell 10-2 in game one and lost a 2-0 shutout in the late game.  MSU Billings fell to 3-11 overall and 2-10 in the league, while the Hilltoppers extended their winning streak to 17 to improve to 17-2 overall and a perfect 12-0 in conference play.

The Yellowjackets dug themselves into a hole early in game one allowing the Toppers to score three runs in the first and third innings to hold a 6-0 lead.  With time running out, the Yellowjackets got their offense going in the top of the sixth.  Kyle Pryor (Billings, MT) singled to center field and stole second.  Jake Samuelson (Helena, MT) was walked putting runners on first and second.  On a Hilltoppers’ passed ball, both Pryor and Samuelson advanced one base.  Nick Hoskyn (Oelwein, IA) drove in Pryor and Samuelson for two RBI on a single to center field.

Unable to put a stop to St. Edward’s momentum, the Hilltoppers scored four runs off four hits in the sixth to build an insurmountable eight-run lead.  The Yellowjackets went three-up, three-down in the seventh to end the game.

Pryor went 2-for-2 and scored one run.  Samuelson scored the Yellowjackets only other run which came after being walked in the sixth inning.  Hoskyn went 1-for-2 and drove in both runners for the RBI.  Jeremy Knowles (Three Forks, MT) took the loss for the Jackets giving up six runs off six hits in just 2.2 innings.  Jon Clark (Anaconda, MT) threw a career-high four strikeouts allowing just one hit in 2.1 innings pitched.

The Toppers’ Brian Thomas had a big game at the plate going 3-for-4 scoring three runs and three RBI.  Neil Smith threw the complete 7.0 inning game scattering just two Yellowjacket runs off four hits.  Smith struck out seven batters in moving to 3-0 for the season.

Doug Longfellow (Lewistown, MT) was the only Yellowjacket to reach third base in the late ball game with staunch pitching coming from the Hilltoppers’ Patrick Colgan.  Colgan’s stellar position on the mound held the Yellowjackets to just three hits total while striking out nine. 

The Yellowjackets’ south-paw Ben Lewerke (Mason City, IA) gave the Jackets a fighting chance keeping the Hilltoppers to just two runs off nine hits in the game.  The Toppers’ Bradley Goldsmith scored both of St. Edward’s runs with one coming in the first after a fielder’s choice brought him across home plate.  He scored his second run in the sixth after hitting a single to third base.  Thomas Zente bunted and both runners advanced two bases after a Yellowjacket throwing error to score Goldsmith for the win.

Longfellow, Samuelson, and Hoskyn each went 1-for-3 in the game.  Lewerke threw six innings, striking out one in taking the loss for the Jackets.  Goldsmith went 3-for-3 for the Hilltoppers while Colgan pitched a complete game shutout to move to 4-0.

The Yellowjackets travel to Odessa, Texas for a four-game non-conference series against Heartland Conference provisional member Texas – Permian Basin (4-6) March 5 and 6.  First pitch of each doubleheader is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. MST on Monday and 1:00 p.m. MST on Tuesday.  Following the series against the Falcons, the Yellowjackets travel back across the state of Texas to Goodwell, Oklahoma for four-games against Oklahoma Panhandle State (3-9, 0-8) March 9 and 10.