Mustangs erupt late to down Range Riders

BILLINGS — Adam Cootway drove in seven runs and the Billings Mustangs pulled away late for a 22-7 win over the Glacier Range Riders in Pioneer League baseball Friday at Dehler Park. 

Cootway finished 4-for-5 with two doubles and two home runs while AJ Shaver stayed hot at the plate, going 5-for-6 with a double, triple and homer as Billings (4-1) piled up 25 hits. 

Glacier (4-1) battled early and grabbed a 4-3 lead in the third inning after Jacob Steele launched a solo homer. Donovan Ratfield also drove in a pair of runs for the Range Riders during the back-and-forth start. 

The game stayed within reach into the middle innings before Billings broke it open with eight runs in the seventh and six more in the eighth. Cameron Bowen and Cameron Yuran each drove in three runs during the late push. 

Glacier finished with 15 hits. Joe McLaughlin and Carson Hornung each recorded three-hit nights, while Tommy Rover added a two-run homer in the ninth inning. 

Both teams wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m. in Billings. 

Glacier    211    000    003    -    7    15    5 

Billings    152    000    86x    -    22    25    1 

Aiden Elfering, Brody Chavez (5), Will Maynard (7), Connor Housley (7), Logan Beard (8), and Donovan Ratfield. Harry Orth, Carlos Anziani (5), C.J. Colyer (7) and Kyle Micklus. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Joe McLaughlin 3-6, Logan Beard 2-5, Carson Garner 1-3, Jake Millan 1-5, Jacob Steele 1-4, Ratfield 2-5, Carson Hornung 3-4, Tommy Rover 1-5, Kyle Ashworth 2-5. 

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Cameron Bowen 3-7, Michael Sope 2-5, Adam Cootway 4-5, Charlie Muniz 3-5, Pat Mills 1-5, Kyle Micklus 1-5, Bodee Wright 2-5, Cameron Yuran 4-6, AJ Shaver 5-6. 

2B — Cootway 2, Muniz, Wright, Shaver, Hornung, Ashworth. 3B — Shaver. HR — Cootway 2, Steele, Rover, Shaver. RBIs — Cootway 7, Bowen 3, Yuran 3, Wright 2, Shaver 2, Ratfield 2, Rover 2, Steele, Garner, Beard, Micklus, Mills, Muniz.