(rdran@mscd.edu)
Photo by Jonathan Ingraham
(jingrah1@mscd.edu)
Metro baseball outperformed Montana State University-Billings going 3-1 in a in a hastily scheduled four-game set. Though Metro only planned to play two games against MSU-Billings, Nebraska-Kearney was unable to leave Kearney to head to Lakewood to play Metro and MSU-Billings. Since Kearney was snowed in, Metro and MSUB were forced to add two games instead of just playing two. In addition, Metro and MSUB had to cancel the first game because of snow but was still on All Star Park's field.
In the first game on Feb. 13, MSU-Billings was anxious to get started. In the weekend series highest scoring game, MSU-Billings scored eight runs off of 16 hits. Starting pitcher Ryan Eccles kept the ball in the strike zone. He ended his four shutout innings with five strike outs and no walks, but he gave up seven hits. Once Eccles left, the game started to go MSU-Billings’ way in the fifth inning. MSUB went on to score two runs in four straight innings to win the game 8-4.
"We have to give them credit,” Metro left fielder Marcel Dominguez said. “They came out to play.”
Head coach Jerry Schemmel was a little bit disappointed in the teams performance.
"We took them a little too lightly," Schemmel said.
The second game, on Feb. 14 Metro grabbed the momentum that took them through the rest of the weekend. In the fifth inning MSUB was the first to draw blood with two runs, which Metro quickly answered in the bottom of the inning. Metro than took the go-ahead run and two insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth, which MSUB could not answer. Metro went on to win the game 5-3.
In the third game, and the first of a double header on Feb. 15, Metro continued on the previous day's success with a victory. The game started much as the others, with a pitchers duel between Metro's Steve Green and MSU-Billings’ Brian Howe. In the fourth inning, MSU-Billings finally broke Green with one run to inflict the first damage of the game. MSUB then spent the following inning grabbing some breathing room with three additional runs to put themselves ahead 4-0. However, Metro quickly responded with five runs in the fifth inning to crawl back into the game and grab the lead 5-4. Metro then added a single run for comfort to which MSUB could not respond, and Metro snatched its second victory of the weekend 6-4. Shortstop Matt McConnell and first baseman Jordan Stouffer each hit home runs for Metro.
Metro concluded the weekend in the same way they began, with close a game. Metro had to change strategy by trying to advance runners with sacrifice bunts due to the lack of offensive production.
"Offensively we have a lot of talent but we struggled to get hits and we played for one run and that's how it turned out," Schemmel said.
Stouffer again was the key to Metro's offense as he provided all of Metro's two RBIs. But ultimately, the game came down to pitching as Metro pitcher Kyle Orgrill went six innings with nine strike outs, four walks and gave up only one run on three hits.
"We had really consistent pitching," Schemmel explained. "Defense was terrific. We were dynamite."
Metro will look to continue their consistent play with two double headers Feb. 21 and 22 at All Star Park in Lakewood against College of Santa Fe.
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