Mustangs C squad wins three of four

A busy Lovell Mustangs C baseball team played some strong baseball during the past week, winning three of four games.

On Wednesday, June 26, the Mustangs traveled to Cody and split a conference doubleheader with the Cubs, winning the first contest 6-5 and dropping the second 9-4.

Friday at home, the Mustangs swept the Thermopolis Bobcats 5-3 and 7-6. A doubleheader at Riverton Monday was cancelled by the host Raiders.

In game one Wednesday in Cody, Lovell jumped on the Cubs for three runs in the top of the first inning as the Mustangs loaded the bases and scored on wild pitches. They added two more in the fourth on bases-loaded walks to Rocco Rael and Kannon Owens. Lovell led 5-0.

Meanwhile, starter Kyson Crosby was throwing darts against the Cubs, allowing only one hit and no runs over the first three innings. Cody finally scored single runs in the fourth and fifth innings to trail 5-2, and Lovell added a run in the seventh to go up 6-2.

Dallin Bischoff relieved Crosby and blanked Cody in the sixth, but in the seventh things got dicey for the Mustangs as a pair of errors opened the door for three Cody runs before Bischoff struck out the final batter to preserve the win.

Taevyn Gruell and Ryan Grant each had two hits to pace the Mustangs. Crosby struck out 11 in five innings of work on the mound, allowing just one hit, and Bischoff fanned four in two innings, also allowing a single hit.

In the nightcap, Cody pounced on Lovell starter Rael and reliever Owens for six runs in the first inning, aided by four Lovell errors, then added two more in the second. Lovell scored two runs in each the sixth and seventh innings but never threatened the Cody lead.

Bischoff had two hits for the Mustangs, Mac Morgan, Owens, Grant and Jaxson Miller one each.

“Cody has been our toughest matchup this season,” coach Greg Rael said. “They’re a lot like us in age and the way we play. Kyson pitched a heck of a game in Game 1, and Bischoff closed the last two innings out for us to get the save.

“We had far too many errors in both games. Both errors and base running killed us. We can’t expect to get a couple of wins and keep making the same mistakes defensively and on the bases -- something we plan to work on this week in practice.”

THERMOP TWIN BILL

On a windy Friday at home, the Mustangs received a strong challenge from Thermopolis. In the first game Lovell jumped on top with three runs in the bottom of the second inning thanks, in part, to a bunt by Kade Durtsche that led to a run and an RBI single by Crosby.

Thermop scored a single run off Lovell starter Easton Morgan in the top of the fourth, but the Mustangs responded with two in the bottom of the frame to lead 5-1. The visitors scored two in the fifth before Rael slammed the door in relief.

Durtsche and Crosby had the only four hits – two each – for the Mustangs, though drawing 12 walks put plenty of runners on base. Easton Morgan and Rael only allowed two Thermop hits, one apiece, but eight walks kept the visitors threatening against the two Lovell hurlers.

It was Thermop’s turn to take an early lead in the nightcap as the Bobcats scored three runs in the top of the first inning off Lovell starter Bischoff. Crosby singled home Bischoff in the bottom of the inning to get the home team on the scoreboard, and the Mustangs exploded for five runs in the third to lead 6-3 as Rael and Jaxson Miller hit RBI singles, followed by a two-run single off the bat of Harper Morgan.

After the tough first inning, Bischoff threw two scoreless innings, and Jaxson Miller put two more zeros on the board before running into some trouble in the sixth as Thermop plated three to tie the score before Rael relieved to put out the fire.

The Mustangs picked up a walk-off win in the bottom of the sixth when singles by Durtsche and Harper Morgan and a walk to Owens led to the winning run when Durtsche raced for home.

Harper Morgan led Lovell with two hits and two RBIs, and Hudson Miller, Crosby, Jaxson Miller, Durtsche and Taysen Yates had one hit each.

Bischoff fanned eight batters in three innings as the Lovell starter, and Jaxson Miller and Rael struck out four more in relief, two apiece.

“Against Thermop we were able to pitch Easton Morgan, who hasn’t pitched a whole lot of innings for us this season. He’s one of our younger C players but did a good job on the mound to get the win,” Rael said. “Bischoff got the second W for us on Friday.

“Some of our top hitters are struggling to see the ball to the bat right now at the plate, something we need to get fixed ASAP. June was a grind with all of the games we played. Hopefully, we can lock in and finish the next two weeks strong.”

NEXT UP

The Mustangs were 16-11 going into a home conference doubleheader against Powell Wednesday night. The team will close out the regular season and conference schedule with a home doubleheader next Monday, July 8, at 4 p.m.