MONMOUTH, Ore. – Montana State Billings surged ahead in the bottom of the fifth inning, acting as the home team in a makeup of a game missed earlier in the season, with a two-run home run to left-center field and held off a rally in the seventh for a 4-3 win Wednesday afternoon over Western Oregon.
 
With the loss, Western Oregon fell into a first-place tie in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (20-12), 25-17 overall. MSUB is now 22-17, 16-14 in the league.
 
The Yellowjackets erased 1-0 and 3-2 lead from the Wolves via the bat of designated hitter Adam Cox. His two-run double in the third inning preceded a two-run blast in the fifth, his sixth home run of the season.
 
There was a lot of sparring between a pair of southpaws for both squads. Trey Smith of WOU was staked to a 1-0 lead after first baseman Nathan Etheridge hit  slow ground ball to score Brock Pradere from third.
 
WOU put up two more runs in the top of the fourth innings to answer Cox's first run-scoring hit. Trevor Podratz and Etheridge led off the inning with singles. After a fly out, Marcus madden singled into left-center to advance each base runner two spots. A well-executed safety squeeze bunt from Jay Leverett plated Etheridge to swing the lead back to the Wolves, 3-2.
 
Smith pitched well to hold the one-run lead into the MSUB half of the fifth. He surrendered a leadoff walk and a wild pitch moved the tying-run into scoring position. A shallow fly ball and groundout put two outs on the board for Cox. Smith fell behind in the count 3-1 and Cox connected on the fifth pitch of the battle for a homer.
 
Western Oregon had the bases loaded in both the sixth and seventh innings, but could not push a run across after Cox entered the game as a pitcher. He got pinch-hitter Joey Crunkilton to pop out to right field in the sixth inning to eliminate a WOU threat and evaded another bases loaded jam in the seventh inducing Etheridge into a ground ball double play to end the contest.
 
Cox's fourth save of the year preserved the win for Drew Christina, his first of the season. Smith took the loss after giving up four runs on three hits with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
 
Six different WOU players had a hit, including a double for Brandon Oliver.
 
The two teams will have a day off before beginning the regularly-scheduled four-game GNAC series beginning Friday at 1 p.m. The game will be broadcast in the Salem area on KWVT television and online at WOUwolves.com.