The Glacier Range Riders were a couple wall-scrapers from a four-game winning streak, but their latest rally fell short in a 10-9 loss to the Billings Mustangs Thursday at Flathead Field.

The wall-scrapers came early — Brandt Broussard, Livingston Morris and Ben McConnell took outfielders to the fence in flyouts — before Dean Miller hit a 3-run homer, his second of the game, with two out in the ninth.

That brought the tying run to the plate in Morris, against a reliever who’d taken losses Tuesday and Wednesday: Al Pesto.

This time, Pesto got Morris to fly out to finally put away the Range Riders.

Billings improved to 23-20, while Glacier fell to 16-28. The teams continue this 7-game series tonight at 7:05.

Glacier never led in this one, though they drew even at 1-1 (on Miller’s first homer) in the second, and 4-4 on RBI singles by Brody Wofford and Justin Mazzone in the sixth.

The Range Riders also battled on defense, at least until late. Mazzone threw out base-stealer Mason Dinesen by a mile in the third inning; Glacier got a leaping grab by Broussard at shortstop to end the fifth inning; and Miller made a sensational diving stop and throw at third as Billings threatened to blow things wide open in the eighth.

Some balls could not be caught: Jackson Raper hit a solo omer in the second, Bryce Jackson hit a two-run shot in the fourth and Jalen Garcia hit a two-run honer in the seventh to put the Mustangs up 6-4.

The gap grew to 9-4 against Glacier reliever Quentin Longrie in the eighth, though just one run was earned: A tough force play at third didn’t happen, and was ruled an error.

In the ninth Raper tripled and then scored on a passed ball to make it 10-6 — an important run, as it turned out.

That’s because Miller was about to have his second two-homer game. He now has eight on the season.

Mustangs 010 030 231 - 10 11 0

Riders 010 012 023 - 9 15 1

Elijah Gilol, Hunter dePrimo (6), Beaux Bonvillian (6), Foster Pace (7), Darrien Ragins (7), Al Pesto (9) and Brian Parriere. Logan Vanwey, Tanner Solomon (6), Quentin Longrie (8), Justin Coleman (9) and Justin Mazzone. W — Bonvillain (2-1). L — Solomon (0-3). S — Pesto (4).

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Jalen Garcia 1-5, Crews Taylor 0-3, Gabe Wurtz 1-5, Jackson Raper 3-5, Jordan Hovey 0-2, Jacob Kline 1-1, Jordan Barth 2-5, Bryce Jackson 1-4, Zach Threlfall 0-1, Parreira 1-3, Aidan Nagle 0-0, Mason Dinesen 1-3.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Ben McConnell 0-5, Ryan Cash 2-5, Sam Linscott 2-4, Brody Wofford 2-5, Dean Miller 4-5, Livingston Morris 1-5, Mazzone 3-4, Eddie McCabe 1-3, Brenton Davis 0-0, Brian Williams 0-1, Brandt Broussard 0-4.

2B — Cash 2, McCabe. 3B — Raper. HR — Garcia (8), Raper (8), Jackson (1), Miller 2 (8). RBIs — Garcia 2, Jackson 2, Threlfall, Parreira, Wurtz, Raper, Miller 4, Mazzone 2, McCabe, Morris, Wofford. CS — Dinesen.

Wednesday

Range Riders 3, Mustangs 2

For the second straight night the Range Riders had some late-inning heroics.

In the top of the ninth Glacier had two outstanding defensive plays: Ryan Cash made a diving stop of a sharp grounder to second, off the bat of Aidan Nagle, and got off the throw to first for the out.

After Jordan Barth singled, Brian Parreira laced a grounder at Riders’ first baseman Brody Wofford, who started a slick 3-6-1 double play with pitcher Austin Steinfort covering first.

Then Glacier’s offense put the pressure on: Livingston Morris got a hustle double out of a bloop to center field; after Justin Mazzone was intentionally walked, Brenton Davis laid down a perfect bunt to load the bases.

The next hitter, Brandt Broussard, sent a sharp grounder to third that was booted, and pinch-runner John Parude scored the winning run.

Steinfort (3-1) got the win in relief for the second straight night, while Al Pesto (1-3) took the loss — just as he did Tuesday.

Both starting pitchers were sharp, with Glacier’s Austin Edwards scattering four walks and three hits in five innings, fanning six. Logan Watters threw three scoreless innings of relief.

Mustangs 110 000 000 - 2 6 3

Riders 001 000 011 - 3 7 0

None out when the winning run scored. Kelvan Pilot, Foster Pace (7), Al Pesto (8) and Brian Parreira. Austin Edwards, Logan Walters (6), Austin Steinfort (9) and Justin Mazzone.

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Jalen Garcia 2-4, Crews Taylor 0-2, Jacob Kline 0-4, Jackson raper 1-3, Gabe Wurtz 0-4, Aidan Nagle 0-4, Jordan Barth 3-4, Parreira 0-3, Mason Dinesen 0-2, Jordan Hovey 0-1.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Ben McConnell 0-4, Ryan Cash 1-4, Sam Linscott 2-3, rody Wofford 0-3, Dean Miller 1-4, Livingston Morris 1-3, John Pardue 0-0, Mazzone 0-3, Brian Williams 1-2, Brenton Davis 1-2, Brandt Broussard 0-4.

2B — Morris. 3B — Garcia. HR — Barth. RBIs — Barth, Kline, McConnell, Wofford, Broussard. SB — Garcia, Hovey, Linscott, Broussard. SF — Wofford.