Beard, Range Riders roll over Mustangs

Logan Beard had three hits, including a three-run double that keyed a six-run third inning, and the Glacier Range Riders handed the Billings Mustangs a 9-3 loss in Pioneer League baseball Wednesday night.

The Range Riders (2-6 this half) were outhit 9-8 but drew 10 walks from four Mustangs pitchers. Billings starter David Hankins was knocked off the bump with one out in the third after allowing five walks and five hits. 

The Mustangs had closed an early 3-0 deficit to 3-2 with four hits in the top of the third, capped by Adam Cootway's RBI single. But Glacier's Brock Vradenburg greeted Hankins with a leadoff double in Glacier's half of the third, and a hit by a pitch and two walks brought in Vradenburg to make it 4-2. 

Beard then hit a 2-2 pitch to left for his double, clearing the bases and making it 7-2. Millan doubled in Beard, and after two more walks Vradenburg's RBI grounder brought in Millan for a 9-2 lead. 

Donovan Ratfield hit an RBI double and a sacrifice fly as the Range Riders built that 3-0 lead. 

On the hill, five Range Rider relievers combined to throw 6 2-3 innings and allow four hits and one run. Davis Pratt and William Bartkowski led the way: each threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. 

Glacier completes a three-game set with the Mustangs (6-2 this half) on Thursday at Glacier Bank Park. First pitch at 6:35 p.m. 

Billings    002    001    000    -    3    9    0 

Glacier    216    000    00x    -    9    8    0 

David Hankins, Mitch Dye (3), Alizaeh Gutierrez (5), Nate Naccarato (7) and Charlie Muniz. Ricky Tibbett, Evan Langston (3), William Bartkoski (4), Jacob Hasty (6), Davis Pratt (7), Connor Housley (9) and Donovan Ratfield. 

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Cameron Bowen 2-5, Michael Soper 1-4, Jacob Gutierrez 1-4, Muniz 1-2, Adam Cootway 1-3, Pat Mills 0-3, Nin Burns II 2-4, John McHenry 0-4, AJ Shaver 1-4. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Jake Millan 2-4, Ratfield 1-3, Carson Garner 0-3, Brock Vradenburg 1-5, Tommy Rover 0-2, Carson Hornung 0-4, Jacob Steele 1-3, Andrew Collins 0-3, Logan Beard 3-3. 

2B — Soper, Burns, Millan, Ratfield, Vradenburg, Beard. RBIs — Bowen, Gutierrez, Cootway, Beard 3, Ratfield 2, Vradenburg, Millan, Rover, Collins.