BILLINGS, Mont. – An 18-2 Montana State Billings win snapped the Western Oregon baseball team's eight-game win streak, but the Wolves fought back to win the series with an 8-3 victory over the Yellowjackets Saturday afternoon at Dehler Park. Western Oregon moves to 19-8 on the year with an 18-6 mark in Great Northwest Athletic Conference action.
 
GAME ONE – Montana State Billings 18, Western Oregon 2
The first game belonged to MSUB for the second-inning on as the Yellowjackets scored in every inning from the second to the eighth, including multiple runs in all but one frame. The home team posted season-highs in runs and hits in Saturday's opening game.
 
WOU would score a run in the first inning when freshman Connor McCord singled in junior Jay Leverett after he reached on an error. The other Wolves' run came in the fifth inning when junior Nyles Nygaard led off with a triple and scored on a sacrifice bunt from senior Forrest Garcia.
 
Craig Grubbe (1-2) was tagged with the loss as Montana State Billings plated eight runs on seven hits against the junior in four innings.
 
GAME TWO – Western Oregon 8, Montana State Billings 3
The Wolves resilience came out in the back of the twin bill, going up 3-0 after two innings. Leverett scored following an error on McCord's one-out single. After the bags filled with Wolves, junior Tony Fonzo drew a four-pitch walk for a RBI. In the second inning, junior Hunter Johnson walked and reached third after a force attempt at second base ended up in an error. Leverett laid down a sacrifice bunt down the first-base line, plating Johnson.
 
MSUB pushed across three runs on four hits in the bottom of the third and had their go-ahead run in scoring position before senior pitcher Trey Smith recorded a strikeout to keep the game tied, 3-3.
 
Western Oregon benefitted from three walks to load the bases in the fourth inning. Leverett fouled the first pitch of his at-but, but connected with a double down the left field line to score a pair of runs on what proved to be the game-winning hit.
 
McCord's RBI sacrifice fly and a run-scoring double from freshman Torreahno Sweet added two runs in the sixth while the final insurance tally came an inning later as pinch runner Justin Spinner scored on Leverett's sac fly for his fourth RBI of the game.
 
Smith needed 113 pitches to earn the seven-inning complete game for the win (3-1). He allowed three runs on five hits and four walks while striking out four.
 
NEXT UP
Western Oregon is slated to make up two games against Saint Martin's on Tuesday in Lacey, Wash. First pitch of a doubleheader is set for 1 p.m. Next weekend, the Wolves are set to play Concordia at home on Saturday and Sunday (April 22-23) with games beginning at 1 p.m. each day.