Mustangs Pull Ahead Early, Coast to 6-0 Win Over Glacier

BILLINGS-Crews Taylor set the tone with a leadoff home run, Jalen Garcia drove in two runs on his 26^th birthday, and Patrick Maybach earned his first professional win as the Billings Mustangs shut out the Glacier Range Riders 6-0 on Wednesday night at Dehler Park.

Billings (7-7, 32-28) won their third consecutive game as they tossed their fourth shutout of the season. The Mustangs also improved to 7-0 at Dehler Park against Glacier (21-40, 4-10) this season.

After Maybach worked around two hits in a scoreless first, the Mustangs struck as early as possible against Glacier starter Rob Hamby. On Hamby's very first pitch of the night, Taylor swatted a solo home run, his 12^th of the year, over the center field wall to put the Mustangs ahead 1-0.

An inning later, the Mustangs added on. With one out, Jacob Kline walked and scooted home all the way from first when Andrew Fernandez doubled just out of the reach of centerfielder Ben McConnell. Bryce Jackson followed by rolling a single up the middle on the very next pitch, scoring Fernandez to make it 3-0 Mustangs.

Maybach navigated through three innings with relatively little trouble, but ran into a jam in the fourth. Two singles and an error put runners at second and third with one out. After a lineout, a walk loaded the bases. However, Brandt Broussard lined softly to short to end the threat with no runs across.

An inning later, he was the beneficiary of good fortune after a leadoff single. With one out, McConnell took off on a hit and run. With the runner going, Kline covered second, where a ground ball was hit right to him to begin an inning-ending double play.

In the fifth, the Mustangs put more breathing room between them and Glacier. Jordan Barth led off with a bunt single and Taylor singled through the left side. A flyout to the wall in left moved both runners into scoring position for Garcia. On his birthday, Garcia ripped a two-run single to right. An error on the throw back moved him to second and he followed by swiping a third. A groundout brought him across the plate with the third run of the inning, putting the Mustangs up 6-0.

Maybach notched one out in the sixth before being lifted after 5.1 scoreless innings. Foster Pace earned four outs and Darrien Ragins stranded two runners in the seventh before throwing a scoreless eighth. Al Pesto then fired a 1-2-3 ninth to polish off the shutout.

The Mustangs will have play game three of the four-game home stand against the Glacier Range Riders on Thursday night at Dehler Park. Billings will start RHP Sean Kiley (3-1, 4.95) while Glacier counters with RHP Kevin Kyle (0-2, 7.06). Pregame on the home of the Mustangs, ESPN 910/105.5 FM with Brennan Mense will begin at 6:15 Thursday ahead of a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.