Jackets Split with Lincoln (4/14/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – Under blue skies and warm temperatures, the Montana State-Billings baseball team split conference wins for the second straight day against Lincoln University.  The Jackets lost a 12-9 barn-burner in game one but stormed back to take a convincing 8-1 win in the late game to improve to 18-16 overall and 11-13 in league play.  The Blue Tigers are 13-30, 9-19.

The Yellowjackets controlled the field in the second inning scoring four runs with Will Crtalic (Billings, MT) hitting a double and advancing to third on the throw.  Designated hitter Chris Harang (Glenview, IL) drilled a two-run home run followed by a single by Pat Smith (Flagstaff, AZ).  Matt Schoonover (Great Falls, MT) drove his third of four home runs on the weekend for an infield homer to plate Smith and take the 4-1 lead.

Lincoln roared back in the fourth inning to catch a three run lead over the Jackets.  No Blue Tiger hit more than a single, but it was enough to plate five runners and get the Yellowjackets attention.

The Jackets picked up four runs off just one hit in the bottom of the fifth to take the brief 8-7 lead before the Tigers answered back with four runs of their own.  With a score of 12-9 in the seventh, the Jackets’ Patch Wirtzberger (Havre, MT) came in to pinch run for Seth Moir (Cody, WY) after Moir knocked a double off the fence.  Following Crtalic’s fly out to center field, Wirtzberger was tagged out at second when the umpire called him on leaving the bag early which ended the game and left Yellowjacket fans stunned.

Both Moir and Crtalic hit doubles and scored one run and two RBIs for the Jackets while Harang went 2-for-2 with one run and three RBIs.  Jon Clark (Anaconda, MT) took the loss allowing four runs off two hits in one inning of work to fall to 0-1. 

“We couldn’t make the lead stick in the first game,” said Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “I felt like when we got ahead, we didn’t press the Blue Tigers enough and their pitcher Matt Rose did a nice job.” 

Blue Tigers’ pitcher Matt Rose (4-4) picked up the win giving up nine runs off nine hits in the game.  Rose threw the complete game and struck out four in the effort.  Mike Rodgers went 3-for-4 scoring three runs and two RBIs for Lincoln.

A combination of solid pitching, cohesive defense, and consistent offense got the job done for the Yellowjackets in the late game.   With two outs in the bottom of the second, Shine singled to third base and advanced to third on Jake Samuelson’s (Helena, MT) right field single.  Smith smacked a triple, the first of his career, to plate Samuelson and Shine for what would become the game-winning run.  An error by the Blue Tigers’ third baseman allowed Kyle Pryor (Billings, MT) to get on base while Smith scored.  Harang drove in Schoonover and Pryor with a single up the middle before the inning ended.

“Ben did an excellent job of mixing it up, putting the ball in play and letting the defense do their job,” added Brown.  “We hit well and all our batters did a great job for us at the plate and in getting on base.  We capitalized in the second game and it worked out for us.”

Lincoln scored their lone run of the game in the third inning when Rodgers double plated Tyrell Roseburrow.  The Yellowjackets added two runs in the fifth and Schoonover’s homer in the sixth iced the win for MSUB.

Harang, Shine, and Smith drove in two RBIs apiece with Schoonover going 2-for-3 with two runs and one RBI.  Ben Lewerke (Mason City, IA) proved why he is number one in the conference in picking up his sixth win of the season moving him to 6-1.  Lewerke scattered five hits in seven innings on the mound.

Blake Jones took the loss for the Tigers allowing five runs off six hits in 1 2/3 innings.  Rodgers went 1-for-3 in the game.

“Sunday will be just another day at the ball park.  Hopefully we can carry over some momentum from our second game and keep playing well.”

The Yellowjackets will host the Jamestown Jimmies in doubleheader action April 15 and 16 at Cobb Field.  Like the Jackets, the Jimmies have been plagued by snow in recent weeks.  First pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. while Monday’s doubleheader is set for noon.