Range Riders stay hot, beat Mobiles 9-2

LUKE SCHMIT | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 day, 14 hours AGO

Glacier's Jake Millan (13) connects on a three-run home run in the fourth inning against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Carson Hornung (11) legs out an RBI triple in the first inning against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier shortstop Jacob Steele (6) throws to first base to complete a double play against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Range Riders starting pitcher Cole Cressend (37) delivers against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Range Riders right fielder Alex Fernandes (12) makes a catch at the wall against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier shortstop Jacob Steele (6) puts the tag on the RedPocket Mobiles' Justin Johnson (20) trying to stretch a single into a double in the fourth inning at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's Carson Hornung (11) drives in a run with an RBI triple in the first inning against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Glacier's JD McLaughlin (7) gets high-fives in the dugout after scoring in the second inning against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Former MLB All-Star Dmitri Young, head coach of the RedPocket Mobiles, as they take on the Glacier Range Riders at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

One swing gave the Range Riders breathing room. Everything else just kept widening the gap.

Jake Millan crushed his seventh home run of the season and Donovan Ratfield reached base four times as Glacier picked up its second straight win with a 9-2 victory over the RedPocket Mobiles on Tuesday night at Glacier Bank Park.

The Range Riders improved to 17-14 and continued the momentum from Sunday’s 21-run outburst, scoring in five different innings while getting a strong performance from the pitching staff.

RedPocket (7-24) struck first in the opening inning when Braylon Bishop stole two bases, setting up Jordan Harrison-Dudley for an RBI groundout, but Glacier answered immediately.

Ratfield’s single started the bottom half before Carson Hornung drove him home with an RBI triple to center field. Jacob Steele added a sacrifice fly, and Joe McLaughlin added another RBI to put Glacier up 3-1.

The Biggest blow came an inning later.

After Hornung and Ratfield reached base again, Millan launched a three-run homer to right field, extending the lead to 7-2.

“We just come out here trying to do our best, and when we do, we know good things happen,” Millan said. “There are going to be ups and downs through the season. We just stay focused on our plan.”

Glacier tacked on two more runs in the sixth. Andrew Collins brought home a run with a single before Ratfield lined an RBI knock to center, giving the Range Riders their ninth run.

Ratfield finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and an RBI. Behind the plate, he credited Glacier pitchers for keeping the Mobiles from building any momentum with their bats.

“I loved how we attached the zone as a pitching staff tonight,” Ratfield said. “We kept the tempo up, got us back in the dugout and let the offense work.”

Glacier flashed the leather in the seventh inning when Carson Garner helped turn a key double play to erase a potential Mobiles rally.

Cole Cressend earned his first win of the season after allowing two runs on two hits while striking out four over three innings.

Ratfield said the recent success comes down to confidence and sticking to a routine.

“Baseball is such a mental game,” Ratfield said. “It’s about being confident every single time. We’ll keep doing that and hopefully stack a whole lot more wins.”

The six-game series continues Wednesday at 6:35 p.m.

RedPocket 101 000 000 - 2 5 1

Glacier 121 302 00x - 9 8 1

Kade Walker, Juan Coronado (6), Wyatt Adams (7), Billy Rozakis (9), and Josiah Chavez. Cole Cressend, Ryan Humphreys (4), Jacob Hasty (6), Lance Wade (7), Jack Maruskin (9), and Donovan Ratfield.

REDPOCKET MOBILES — Braylon Bishop 1-3, Spence Coffman 1-4, Hector Nieves 1-4, Jordan Harrison-Dudley 0-4, Chavez 0-4, Justin Johnson 1-4, Andy Valdes 1-4, Kishon Frett 0-3, Marquis Jackson 0-2.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Alec Fernandes 0-4, Tommy Rover 0-4, Ratfield 3-4, Carson Hornung 1-2, Jake Millan 1-5, Jacob Steele 1-3, Joe McLaughlin 1-3, Carson Garner 0-3, Andrew Collins 1-3.

2B —McLauglin. HR — Millan (7). RBIs — Harrison-Dudley. Millan 3, Garner 2, Ratfield, Hornung, Collins.

Reporter Luke Schmit can be reached at 406-758-4441 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.

Glacier's Carson Hornung (11) legs out an RBI triple in the first inning against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Range Riders starting pitcher Cole Cressend (37) delivers against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Range Riders right fielder Alex Fernandes (12) makes a catch at the wall against the RedPocket Mobiles at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday, June 23. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider