NAMPA, Idaho – For the first time since the 2009 season, the Montana State University Billings baseball team completed a Great Northwest Athletic Conference four-game sweep, as the Yellowjackets' pitching staff allowed just seven hits and no runs in 3-0 and 8-0 wins over Northwest Nazarene on Saturday at Vail Baseball Field.
 
The last time the 'Jackets swept a GNAC series was in Nampa from March 6-7, 2009 against the Crusaders.
 
Cody Cooper dominated the Crusaders in the series finale, scattering four hits and striking out 10 batters in a shutout performance that capped the sweep for MSUB. In the first game of the day, starter Tanner Johnson struck out eight in six scoreless innings, and Lee Busto and Lucas Blehm followed suit with three perfect innings of relief for MSUB's first shutout.
 
"Our starting pitching and bullpen were terrific all weekend," commented MSUB head coach Rob Bishop, who earned his 500th career victory in MSUB's second win in the series on Friday. "They really picked us up."
 
At the plate in Game 2, Luke Reinschmidt came up a double short of hitting for the cycle, a feat he achieved 358 days ago at Nampa in a 16-7 win over the Crusaders on March 28, 2014. Reinschmidt was 2-for-4 in Game 1 and 3-for-4 with three RBIs and two runs scored in the second game.
 
Senior second baseman Brody Miller had five hits in the series, moving him into sole possession of fifth place on the GNAC career hits leaderboard with 223. He surpassed Shane Schoeneberg of Saint Martin's (2005, 2007-09), who had 222, and is now 12 shy of Greg McCarthy (Western Oregon, 2002-05) for the fourth spot.
 
"Our hitters competed all weekend and finally broke loose in Game 4," Bishop said. "I am happy with our effort this weekend in all aspects."
 
Reinschmidt hit his seventh home run of the season and Kyle Durbin added his first in Game 2. With the wins MSUB is now 11-16 and moved above .500 in GNAC play at 6-5. The Crusaders dropped below the .500 mark at 14-15 overall, and are now 4-8 in conference action.
 
Game 1 – MSU Billings 3, Northwest Nazarene 0
 
The Yellowjackets didn't move past first base until the fourth inning, as Miller reached on a two-base error and advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Durbin. Colter Sternhagen followed with a sacrifice fly as MSUB jumped ahead 1-0.
 
Only two more MSUB players reached base before the eighth inning, when the 'Jackets tacked on two more runs to secure their edge. Durbin plated a run on a fielder's choice and Sternhagen hit his second sacrifice fly of the game to put MSUB ahead for good, 3-0.
 
NNU's best chance to score came in the sixth inning, when Tyler Davis led off with a double, and the Crusaders loaded the bases against Johnson. Myles Berkram tracked down a fly ball in left field to end the threat however, and Johnson handed the ball off to his bullpen to finish the game.
 
Busto tossed a scoreless seventh, and Blehm earned the save with four strikeouts in two perfect innings.
 
Johnson (2-1) finished with eight strikeouts against three walks and allowed just three hits in six plus innings of work.
 
NNU starter Blake Mitchell (3-3) struck out five and walked one over 7 1/3 innings, and scattered five hits while allowing just one earned run.
 
Berkram was 2-for-3 with a run scored in the first game, and Reinschmidt also had a pair of hits for the 'Jackets.
 
Game 2 – MSU Billings 8, Northwest Nazarene 0
 
Capitalizing from the get-go, Reinschmidt launched his team-leading seventh home run of the season over the left-field fence to give the 'Jackets a 3-0 lead in the first inning. MSUB tacked on three more in the third on a two-run double by Blake Loran and a ground ball by Corey Morris.
 
Cooper retired six of the first seven batters he faced with a pair of strikeouts.
 
The Crusaders loaded the bases against MSUB's right-hander in the third, but back-to-back strikeouts silenced NNU and preserved the Yellowjackets' 6-0 advantage. The two strikeouts kicked off 11 straight retired hitters for Cooper, and a single up the middle by Skyler Penrod in the seventh was the lone blemish en route to his masterpiece.
 
Miller lashed a double down the left field line in the sixth inning, and Durbin followed with a two-run shot to right field that put the game out of reach at 8-0.
 
THE BUZZ: The last time MSUB swept a nonconference series was March 24-25, 2012 in a home set against Minot State…Cooper was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for his first shutout of the season…MSUB pitchers combined to strike out 22 Crusaders while NNU's staff managed just 10 strikeouts in the two games Saturday.
 
AHEAD: The long-awaited home debut is now within site for the 'Jackets, who will kick off a 17-game homestand after playing their first 27 games on the road. First up for MSUB is GNAC foe Saint Martin's who will head to Dehler Park on March 27-28 for a four game series with two 1 p.m. doubleheaders featuring live stats and video.