Jackets Split Pair with Jamestown (4/16/07)
Game 1 Box Score
Game 2 Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings baseball team split a pair of make-up games against the visiting Jamestown Jimmies Sunday at Cobb Field.  The Yellowjackets’ offense led the team to an 8-3 win in game one, but stumbled in the late game falling 10-4.  The Jackets are 19-17 overall with the Jimmies improving to 13-11 on their season.

Both the Jackets and Jimmies opened the game with a pair of runs, but MSUB broke the game open in the third inning plating four Yellowjacket runners.  Matt Schoonover (Great Falls, MT) reached on a walk and advanced to second on Chris Harang’s (Glenview, IL) single through the left side.  Schoonover then scored on a Nick Hoskyn (Oelwein, IA) single followed by the Yellowjackets’ Jake Samuelson (Helena, MT) picking up two RBI on his long single to left field.  With bases loaded, Doug Longfellow (Lewistown, MT) was walked to plate Will Crtalic (Billings, MT) before the inning ended.

Up 6-2, The Jackets allowed just one Jimmie run in the top of the sixth.  Jeremy Burgard reached on a Yellowjacket error and scored an unearned run off Chad Hollister’s double to left field.  With two outs the Jackets stayed focused and added two runs in the bottom of the sixth inning.  Schoonover was walked for the second time in the game and then stole second base.  Seth Moir (Cody, WY) picked up two RBI with a single up the middle before the game ended.

“We hit the ball well; seven of our eight runs were with two outs,” said Yellowjacket head coach Chris Brown.  “It showed that we continued to work the inning until the last out and it paid off for us.  James did a heck of a job on the mound giving us good six innings, and when we had guys in scoring position, we executed.”

Hoskyn went 2-for 3 scoring two runs and two RBIs with a double.  Moir went 2-for 4 driving in a career-high three RBIs in the game.  James Lester (Missoula, MT) earned the win for MSUB to improve to 2-3.  Lester allowed three runs off four hits in six innings of work.  He struck out a career-high five batters.

Hollister went 2-for-3 for the Jimmies driving in two RBIs.  Travis Goset took the loss for Jamestown allowing six runs, all earned, off five hits while striking out just one Yellowjacket.

The Jimmies’ pitcher Dirk Dembroski slowed the pace in game two working to his advantage in catching the Yellowjackets on their heels.  Tied at one run apiece, the Jimmies struck a vein in the top of the fourth plating five runners.

Ben Cairns opened the inning with a double to left field and scored on Matt Daul’s single.  Two Yellowjacket wild pitches in a row scored Hollister and put Scott Arthurs into scoring position.  Sam Price’s sac fly to left field plated Arthurs and Dave Sauter’s would go on to score before a Yellowjacket pitching change brought an end to the Jimmies’ scoring torrent.

The Jimmies added four additional runs in the fifth and sixth innings, and despite Patch Wirtzberger’s (Havre, MT) three runs, the Yellowjackets had to settle for the split.

Pat Smith (Flagstaff, AZ) led the Jackets’ offense going 2-for-3 with one run and an RBI off a long double in the seventh.  Wirtzberger went 1-for-4 scoring three of the Jackets’ four runs.

Chris Martin (Billings, MT) took the loss for the Yellowjackets giving up six earned runs off six hits in 3 2/3 innings of work.  Martin struck out two in the effort.

Dembroski pitched the complete game in picking up the win for the Jimmies.  Dembroski allowed four runs, one earned, off seven hits.  Sauter went 2-for-4 and scored two runs with his teammate Daul also going 2-for-4 with two runs and one RBI.

The Yellowjackets and Jimmies will meet for a non-conference doubleheader Monday, April 16 at Cobb Field.  First pitch is set for noon.  The Jackets continue their Heartland Conference scheduled April 20 and 21 when they host St. Mary’s (27-14).  The pair of doubleheaders start at 4:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. respectively.