Mustangs Win Sixth Straight With Rain-Shortened 12-5 Victory

BILLINGS-The Billings Mustangs rode two homers and two big innings to extend their winning streak to six games with a rain-shortened 12-5 win over the Idaho Falls Chukars on Thursday night at Dehler Park.

Billings (27-19, 52-40) secured a series victory thanks in part to a six-run third and five-run seventh, the latter of which came right before the game was called in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Both teams broke out the longball in the first inning. In the top of the inning, the Chukars got to Elijah Gill. After a one-out single by Brandon Bohning, Dusty Stroup connected on a 3-2 fastball and blasted it over the center field wall for his 24^th home run of the season, putting the Chukars up 2-0.

In the bottom of the first, Burle Dixon responded by turning around a 1-2 curve and launching it over the right-field wall for his first home run as a Mustang. Billings later loaded the bases, but failed to score any further, and it was 2-1 Idaho Falls after one frame.

In the second, the Chukars added two more. A single, stolen base, and wild pitch allowed Tyler Kelly to circle the bases, as he came home on an Eric Callahan sacrifice fly. Brendan Hueth then walked, stole second, and scored on a Steve Barmakian RBI single, putting the Chukars ahead 4-1.

In the third, though, the Mustang bats erupted to life. After a leadoff walk to Dixon, Juan Teixeira turned around an 0-1 fastball and lined a two-run rocket over the left field wall for his second home run as a Mustang and 15^th overall. Billings was not done, though.

Jackson Raper doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a soft groundout by Abraham Mow to tie the game. However, reliever Alex Fishberg walked two batters, loading the bases with two outs for Jalen Garcia. On the first pitch, Garcia ripped a line drive into the gap in right-center field which cleared the bases on a three-run double, capping off a six-run inning that put the Mustangs ahead 7-4.

From there, the scoring dried up. Gill threw a scoreless fourth before giving way to Foster Pace, who went six-up, six-down over the fifth and sixth. In the seventh, Byron Smith came on and allowed a run on two hits as the lead was cut to 7-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, though, the Mustangs poured it on as the skies began to open. After loading the bases with no outs, Mow looped a broken-bat single over a drawn-in infield to score a run. Raper then came home on a wild pitch before a groundout from Bryce Jackson brought in a third tally. Following a pitching change, Jordan Barth and Dixon each lined RBI singles, boosting the lead to 12-5.

After Dixon's hit, though, the umpires pulled both teams off the field with two outs in the bottom of the seventh as the rain had become too heavy to resume play. The game was then officially called off approximately half an hour later, with the Mustangs claiming a 12-5 victory.

The Mustangs will play the penultimate game of the regular season at Dehler Park on Friday night against the Idaho Falls Chukars. Billings will start LHP Ethan McRae (2-1, 4.00) while Idaho Falls will throw RHP Tom Walker (3-3, 7.17). Pregame on Friday on the home of the Mustangs, ESPN 910/105.5 FM with Brennan Mense will begin at 6:15 ahead of a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.