February 22, 2008

Pitching Leads Yellowjackets to Season-Opening Victory

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LEWISTON, Idaho – Solid pitching performances propelled the Montana State Billings baseball team to a 3-2 victory over the University of British Columbia in the first game of the Lewis-Clark State Tournament. With the victory, MSUB improves to 1-0 on the season, while British Columbia falls to 3-3.

Junior James Lester pitched a solid season debut for the Yellowjackets, scattering five hits in five innings of work. He allowd two runs – one earned, three strikeouts and no walks. Sophomore Cody Clark (1-0) came in and pitched the final four innings, allowing no hits and striking out four to pick up the victory.

MSUB manufactured runs in the first two innings as freshman Cole Pryor reached on an error to begin the game. The Thunderbirds had three errors in the first inning alone to assist in helping Pryor score on a bases loaded walk by junior Joe Via. A sophomore Matt Schoonover ground out scored freshman Jeff Ridgeway who was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning and later stole second for a 2-0 lead.

The Thunderbirds, a NAIA tournament team from a year ago, had a chance in the third as Ben Torrie doubled to left and then movd to third, but UBC came away empty handed.

UBC did scratch out a run in the fourth as Jon Syrnyk struck out, but reached first on a passed ball. Later, he stole third and scored on a throwing error for the first run. The Thunderbirds led off the fifth with a double and a sacrifice fly scored the game-tying run.
MSUB head coach Chris Brown brought in Clark for the sixth inning and he retired 12 consecutive batters to pick up the victory.

The Yellowjackets added the game-winning run in the seventh as Schoonover singled to center to lead things off. Via added his second RBI of the game with a single to center, scoring Schoonover for a 3-2 lead.

Offensively both teams struggled for just five hits apiece. Five different Yellowjackets had hits, including a 1 for 4 performance from Via with two RBI. UBC’s Alex White had two hits.

Since baseball was reinstated at MSUB in 2006, this as the first season-opening victory for the Yellowjackets.
MSUB now faces host Lewis-Clark State who won the NAIA National Championship a year ago.