Mustangs Edge Vibes 4-3 to Win Fourth Straight

COLORADO SPRINGS-Mason Dinesen had two extra-base hits and scored three times and the Billings Mustangs rallied from two runs down and stranded the tying run at third in the ninth to squeak out a 4-3 win over the Rocky Mountain Vibes on Thursday night at UC Health Park in Colorado Springs.

Billings (17-13) won their fourth in a row and matched their high-water mark for the season by moving to four games above .500, as Rocky Mountain (8-22) stranded ten runners on base in the defeat.

Rocky Mountain struck to take an early lead. Billings starter Darrien Ragins issued a leadoff walk to Gio Diaz, who then stole second. With one out, Ulysses Cantu ripped an RBI double into the gap in right-center, giving the Vibes a 1-0 lead.

The Mustangs answered back in the third. Dinesen led off with a double off the right field wall. Two flyballs moved Dinesen along, with a lineout to right from Jordan Hovey bringing him across the plate, tying the game at one apiece.

However, the Vibes regained the lead an inning later. Ragins set down the first two hitters in the fourth, but he surrendered back-to-back doubles to Joseph Encarnacion and Josh Glenn to bring in one run in. Brandon Perez followed with a single to stretch the Vibe lead to 3-1.

The Mustangs, though, put together a two-out rally of their own. With runners on first and second and two outs, Jalen Garcia ripped an RBI single to left. Jackson Raper then hit a ground ball to short on a full count pitch, but the throw pulled the first baseman off the bag, allowing Taylor to score from second to tie the game.

In the seventh, Billings pulled ahead for the first time. Dinesen led off and ripped the first pitch from Armando Valle into the right-field corner for a triple. Crews Taylor followed with a bloop single over a drawn-in infield to bring in Dinesen to give the Mustangs a 4-3 lead.

From there, the Mustang bullpen did the rest. Foster Pace pitched 2.0 scoreless innings and earned the win. Beaux Bonvillain got the final out of the seventh before Jack Goonan logged a scoreless eighth.

Goonan walked the leadoff man in the ninth, but Al Pesto came on and put out the fire. The right hander retired all three batters he faced with two strikeouts and stranded the tying run on third by striking out Domonique Hernandez looking to end the game, securing a 4-3 win.

The Mustangs will play game three in Colorado Springs on Thursday night against the Rocky Mountain Vibes. The Mustangs will throw RHP Yasnier Laureano (3-1, 3.20) while Rocky Mountain counters with RHP Yohandry Perez (2-1, 6.91). Pregame on Wednesday afternoon will begin at 6:10 ahead of a 6:30 p.m. first pitch.