LACEY, Wash. – After trailing a majority of the game, the Saints used ten runs in three innings to take the lead and secure a 12-8 win over Montana State Billings in the third game of a four-game series.
MSUB took early control over the Saints, scoring two runs in the top of the first inning and one in the third. The Saints answered back immediately in the bottom of the third, starting off with a
Chayson Dulatre single and a walk from
Isaac Hegamin.
Micah McNicoll and
Ryne Oshiro each brought them in and to put the score at 3-2.
The Yellowjackets added three runs onto their lead in the fifth and sixth, but the Saints again responded with runs of their own. After being struck out twice, the Saints' bats got going.
Cody Chavis started with a double, followed by Dulatre who reached base on a MSUB error to bring Chavis home. A
Ty Matsunami single drove in the second run, followed by a Hegamin double to cap off at three runs in the inning to bring the lead back down to one.
After a MSUB homerun, SMU continued their hot streak.
Griffin Williams brought in two runs from a triple, and a Chavis single brought him home to give the Saints their first lead of the game in the bottom of the seventh.
The Saints added four insurance in the bottom of the eighth from runs off Oshiro,
Aaron Renaud, and Williams to secure the win.
"We showed great resiliency today, being at the ball park for 8-9 hours just to get one game in," said head coach
Kelly Gau. "We had great pitching efforts by Alumbaugh and Yamashita in relief, both holding strong after being down on the scoreboard. On the defensive end, when we control the strike zone we are a really good hitting team. Guys are good at saying in the zone and hitting the zones We are hoping to bounce back tomorrow and start off fresh for a strong finish to the four-game series".
Derek Alumbaugh got the start for the Saints, going four innings while allowing three earned runs off of three hits, and striking out two.
Justice Yamashita came in for relief for four innings after a rain delay after the fourth inning. He allowed four runs, two earned off five hits while punching out six.
Drew Rose came in for the final inning, allowed one run then
James Gunther picked up the save in the final inning,
Due to today's weather conditions and delays, the last game of the series will start tomorrow, March 7 at 10 a.m. Live stats will be available at smusaints.com.
