Billings avoids sweep with 4-3 win over Glacier

Jack O’Dowd’s home run in the ninth inning denied the Glacier Range Riders a sweep as they fell to the Billings Mustangs 4-3 Sunday at Glacier Bank Park.

Briley Knight hit a double in the first inning to break the ice for the Mustangs (10-14 in second half).  

Glacier (13-11) responded quickly, as Eli Paton hit a solo home run in the bottom of the inning to tie the score 1-1. Jake Millan followed with an RBI double to take the lead 2-1. 

The Mustangs tied the game in the second inning when Kyle Micklus reached on a fielder's choice and brought in Casey Sorg. 

Gabe Howell hit the second big fly of the game in the fourth inning to regain the lead for the Range Riders 3-2. Howell has five homers on the season 

Billings was not going to go down without a fight, as Knight hit another RBI double to tie the game at three in the fifth. 

O’Dowd’s crucial long ball gave Billings the lead for good. 

Starting pitchers Sam Schmitt and Luke Schafer each gave up three earned runs each. The Mustangs bullpen held the Range Riders scoreless for the final four innings. 

Both teams will see each other again in the Magic City, as they start another six-game series on Tuesday. 

Billings    110    010    001    -    4    8    3         

Glacier    200    100    000    -    3    8    0

Sam Schmitt, Ritter Steinmann (6), Cole Calnon (7), Garrett Ouellette (9) and Kyle Micklus. Luke Schafer, Jacob Hasty (7), Nick Zegna (8), Luke Cooper (9), and Angel Mendoza. 

BILLINGS MUSTANGS— Charlie Muniz 1-4, Chase Hanson 1-4, Briley Knight 2-4, Cameron Bowen 1-4, Jack O’Dowd 1-4, Casey Sorg 1-4, Tyler Shelnut 0-4, John McHenry 1-4, Kyle Micklus 0-3. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS—Eli Paton 1-5, John Mabry 1-5, Jack Lynch 1-5, Jake Millan 1-4, Kingston Liniak 1-2, Logan Beard 0-4, Gabe Howell 2-3, Angel Mendoza 0-2, Tj Clarkson 0-1, Kyle Ashworth 1-4. 

2B — Knight 2. Millan, Howell. HR — O’Dowd (16). Paton (3), Howell (5). RBI — Knight 2, O’Dowd. Paton, Millan, Howell. 

Saturday 

Range Riders 6, Mustangs 0

Grant Taylor threw seven shutout innings and allowed two hits as the Range Riders won their fifth straight. 

Taylor moved to 5-5 on the season with the win and finished with seven strikeouts. Jacob Hasty and Davis Pratt threw one shutout inning each in relief. 

Offensively, the Range Riders got rolling early. After a John Mabry single and a walk to Eli Paton, Jake Millan singled to score Paton and put Glacier up 1-0. Jack Lynch added an RBI single and Kingston Liniak a sacrifice fly to extend the elad to 3-0. Logan Beard made it four with an single that scored Lynch. 

In the third inning Glacier extended the lead as Carson Garner drew a bases loaded walk and Donovan Ratfield was hit by by a pitch to bring in another run and make it 6-0. 

John McHenry, Jack O’Dowd and Charlie Muniz picked up the three hits for the Mustangs. 

Billings    000    000    000    -    0    3    0 

Glacier    402    000    00x    -    6    7    1

Daniel Foster, Jaden Harris (4), Jack Maruskin (8) and Charlie Muniz. Grant Taylor, Jacob Hasty (8), Davis Pratt (9) and Donovan Ratfield. 

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Cameron Bowen 0-4, John McHenry 1-3, Tyler Shelnut 0-4, Jack O’Dowd 1-4, Chase Hanson 0-4, Charlie Muniz 1-3, Casey Sorg 0-3, Efrain Manzo 0-2, Briley Knight 0-3. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — TJ Clarkson 0-4, John Mabry 2-5, Eli Paton 0-3, Jake Millan 1-3, Jack Lynch 1-3, Kingston Liniak 1-3, Logan Beard 2-3, Carson Garner 0-3, Donovan Ratfield 0-3. 

2B — O’Dowd. RBIs — Millan, Lynch, Liniak, Beard, Garner, Ratfield.