BILLINGS - The thrill of a game wining hit is contagious, but for the same guy to deliver twice in one night? C'mon.
"I don't know, that was just the most fun thing ever," MSU Billings second baseman Tyler Godfrey said after helping the Yellowjackets sweep Friday's baseball double header over Western Oregon.
Godfrey’s first walk-off capped a four-run, ninth-inning rally during which MSUB overcame a 7-4 deficit to take the opening game of the series 8-7. With one out, bases loaded, and the outfield drawn in, Godfrey punched a single over the head of WOU rightfielder Jackson Holstad to score Hayden Foltz and prompt a celebratory mob behind second base.
Godfrey, who was named Great Northwest Athletic Conference Baseball Player of the Week on Monday, said he changed his approach after early swings weren't working.
"I just peppered it out and ended up hitting it over right field and it ended up falling so, pretty big time," he admitted.
It was a big time feeling because Godfrey said he'd never hit a walk-off game winner. Ever.
In Friday's second game of the double-header, he was in position to do it again and with the bat in his hands and two out. Godfrey jacked a 3-2 pitch over the right field wall for a 5-4 win and giving MSUB a five-game win streak.
This celebration was on top of home plate.
"I mean, I was hoping it was gone off the bat," Godfrey said. "I just started walking and was like, I really hope this goes out because if not, it's going to be kind of an embarrassing double."
Yellowjackets head coach Derek Waddoups was struck by the freshman's toughness — both mental and physical.
"He got hit in the mouth with kind of a weird, funky play last week and had those stitches in his lip, and ends up coming out being the dude today."
The infielder from Arizona admitted he'd recently wondered about such walk-off elation.
“Diego hit one a couple of weeks ago, and I was just thinking, ‘man, that would be cool, I really don't even know what I'd do in that situation," Godfrey recalled. "When it happened (for me), I just saw everyone coming at me."
Godfrey knows how to handle it now.
MSUB (20-18, 11-9 GNAC) is off this weekend before hosting Saint Martin’s University in a four-game conference series at Dehler Park April 22-23.
