Range Riders rally falls short to Mustangs

BILLINGS — The Billings Mustangs jumped out to a 7-1 lead before the Glacier Range Riders plated four runs in the eighth and had the tying run at the plate before their rally ended, losing 8-5 in Pioneer League baseball Tuesday night. 

With the game tied at 1 apiece heading into the bottom half of the fourth inning, the Mustangs’ (16-27) bats broke the game open. Jack O’Dowd walked before Tyler Shelnut and Evan Berkey hit back-to-back home runs for a 4-1 lead. 

In the bottom of the fifth inning, Patrick Mills hit a 2-run homer, Shelnut singled home a run, and the Range Riders (15-28) found themselves in a 7-1 deficit. Shelnut finished the game 4-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored.  

Logan Beard led off the fourth inning with a double and came around to score on Thomas Green’s sacrifice fly to start the scoring for the Range Riders. They were held to just one hit over the next three innings before finally getting to the bullpen in the eighth. 

Xavier Casserilla singled home Gabe Howell for their second run of the game. Then a TJ Clarkson base hit loaded the bases and Kingston Liniak walked in a run to make it 7-3. Angel Mendoza singled home Casserilla and Jack Lynch came to the plate as the tying run before grounding out to second.  

Beard recorded his third hit of the night in the ninth inning with two outs, and Casserilla was retired to end the game. Caserilla finished 2-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Clarkson recorded two singles as the 3-5 hitters combined for seven of the Range Riders nine hits. 

The Mustangs hit four home runs on the night, with Cameron Bowen’s solo shot in the third scoring the first run of the game. Bowen finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored out of the leadoff spot. The six-game series continues tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. 

Glacier    000    100    040    -    5    9    0 

Billings    001    330    010    -    8    14    2 

Sean Brennan (4), Eldridge Armstrong III (5), Jacob Hasty (6), Nick Zenga (7), Cam Cowan (8), and Angel Mendoza. Hudson Boncal (4), Chris Hardin (6), Jack Maruskin, C.J. Colyer (8), Cole Chimenti (9), and Kyle Micklus 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Kyle Ashworth 1-4, Gabe Howell 0-4, Logan Beard 3-5, Xavier Casserilla 2-5, TJ Clarkson 2-3, Kingston Liniak 0-3, Thomas Green 0-3, Angel Mendoza 1-4, Jack Lynch 0-3. 

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Cameron Bowen 3-5, Chase Hanson 0-5, Kyle Micklus 2-4, Patrick Mills 1-4, Jacob Kline 1-4, Jack O’Dowd 1-4, Tyler Shelnut 4-4, Evan Berkey 1-3, A.J. Shaver 1-4.  

2B — Beard, Casserilla. Micklus 2, Bowen, Kline, Shelnut. HR — Berkey (5), Bowen (4), Mills (6), Shelnut (6). RBIs — Mendoza 2, Casserilla, Green, Liniak. Shelnut 3, Mills 2, Berkey, Bowen, Micklus.