Mustangs Walked Off in Both Ends of Doubleheader Sweep on Saturday

GREELEY-The Billings Mustangs led for most of the first game and rallied late in game two, but in the end, the Northern Colorado Owlz walked off both ends of a doubleheader, winning 3-2 and 6-5 on Saturday afternoon in Greeley, Colorado.

Northern Colorado (6-4, 23-32) secured a series win and extended their winning streak to four straight games while Billings (4-7, 29-28) has lost three straight one-run contests.

In game one, the Mustangs got off to a fast start in the first inning. With one out, Jalen Garcia legged out an infield hit and a fly ball to left by Jackson Raper was lost in the sun for another hit. Andrew Fernandez followed with a single down the left-field line to score Garcia, putting the Mustangs up 1-0.

In the second, the Mustangs added another tally. Brian Parreira singled to lead off the inning and moved around the bases on a wild pitch and a groundout. With two outs, Crews Taylor lined a single to center to score Parreira, putting the Mustangs ahead 2-0.

From there, both pitchers settled down. Elijah Gill was not nearly as dominant as in his two previous starts, but he successfully fired 5.0 scoreless innings.

In the sixth, though, he ran into trouble. A walk and a single put runners on the corners with one out, after which he was lifted for Al Pesto. Pesto then fielded a comebacker, but threw it errantly, scoring a run. After a hit batter loaded the bases, a sacrifice fly brought in the tying run. Beaux Bonvillain stranded two men in scoring position, but the damage was done and the game was tied.

In the seventh, the Mustangs failed to score and Foster Pace entered to try to send the game to a knockout round. However, with one out, Alex Jackson lined a shot over the wall in left-center for a walk-off homer, sending the Mustangs to a 3-2 defeat.

In the second game, the Owlz took an early lead with the longball, as Matthew Turner connected for a solo shot in the second inning, breaking up a string of four straight strikeouts by Mustang starter Sean Kiley to start the game.

In the third, though, the Mustangs battled back with the home run ball. Following a leadoff single by Abraham Mow, Crews Taylor lined an opposite-field liner over the wall in left field for his 11^th home run, a two-run shot that put the Mustangs up 2-1.

However, the Owlz battled right back to re-gain the lead. Two singles and a sacrifice bunt began the inning. A wild pitch then brought in a run to tie the game. With two outs, Tim Bouchard ripped a double to the right field corner to bring another run, putting the Owlz back up 3-2.

In the fourth, the Mustangs drew even as Abraham Mow launched an 0-1 pitch well over the left-field wall for a tape-measure home run to tie the game. However, Turner led off the bottom of the fourth with his second solo shot of the game, restoring NoCo's lead at 4-3.

The Mustangs had one final rally in them in the seventh. With two outs, the Mustangs loaded the bases for Fernandez, who ripped a two-run single through the right side to put the Mustangs up 5-4.

Alas, it was not to be. Against Pesto, Dakota Popham led off the seventh with a home run to tie the game. Marshall Rich then singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. On a 1-2 offering, Cameron Phelts dunked a single to shallow left that Wurtz fielded and made a strong throw to the plate, but it skipped past Fernandez, allowing the winning run to score.

The Mustangs will finish the series in Greeley against the Northern Colorado Owlz on Sunday afternoon. Billings will start RHP Kelvan Pilot (4-3, 4.79), while the Owlz counter with LHP Will Buraconak (3-3, 4.75). Pregame on the home of the Mustangs, ESPN 910/105.5 FM with Brennan Mense will begin at 12:45 ahead of a 1:05 p.m. first pitch.