Mustangs take three of four in Billings

Continuing to play solid baseball, the Lovell Mustangs won three of four games at the Buffalo Wild Wings Tournament in Billings over the weekend before rain washed away the final day of action.

Thursday, the Mustangs edged the Billings Blue Jays 4-2, then fell to the Green River Knights 8-4. They came from behind to stop the Gillette Rustlers 10-7 Friday and clobbered the Lightning Baseball 16U team from Colorado Saturday 13-7. They were scheduled to play Lethbridge, Alberta, Sunday, but the region’s soaking rains that day sent everybody home.

The Mustangs returned to Montana Tuesday evening and met the Laurel Dodgers, falling 9-8.

Thursday split

Thursday in Billings, the Mustangs took an early lead and held off the Blue Jays for the 4-2 win. Lovell scored two in the bottom of the first when Owen Edwards reached base on an error and trotted home on a triple by Tucker Jackson. Alex Hedges singled home Jackson.

Lovell scored a single run in the second when Jackson drew a bases-loaded walk and one more in the fourth when Rocco Rael singled to score Kyle Wilson, who took one for the team to start the inning (hit by pitch).

Billings finally got to Lovell starter Lafe Files for a run in the fourth and another in the fifth, but reliever Kannon Owens slammed the door on the Blue Jays comeback with two innings of scoreless relief.

Files picked up the win, allowing two runs on eight hits and only one walk in five innings of work, striking out eight. Owens allowed just one hit and walked none in two innings on the mound, striking out one.

In game two Thursday, the Mustangs built a 4-1 lead, only to see the lead slip away. Lovell scored a run in the top of the first when Files was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and another in the second on a sacrifice fly hit by Edwards.

Green River scored one in the bottom of the second, but Lovell plated two in the top of the third to lead 4-1 when Files doubled home Wilson and scored on a wild pitch. The Knights got to starting pitcher Edwards for two in the fourth to trail 4-3, then plated five in the sixth against Edwards and reliever Wilson.

Edwards allowed four runs, two earned, in five innings on the hill, on three hits and two walks while fanning six. Wilson allowed four runs on five hits in his one inning, striking out a pair.

Friday win

The Mustangs showed they had no quit in them Friday as they trailed the Gillette Rustlers 5-0 but scored 10 runs in four innings to win, 10-7.

Dallin Bischoff started on the hill for the Mustangs, allowing four runs in the first and one in the second, but the Mustangs got their bats going, tallying three runs in the third inning, two in the fourth, three in the fifth and two in the sixth while reliever Hedges held Gillette to one run over the final three frames of a six-inning game.

Leadoff hitter Mac Morgan set the table for the Mustangs, going three for four at the plate, and Edwards, Files and Owens had a pair of hits each. Edwards scored three runs, and Jackson led the team with two RBIs. Files had the only extra-base hit, a triple.

Final win

The Mustangs came from behind once more against Lightning Baseball 16U Saturday. Trailing 7-4, the Mustangs exploded for nine runs in the top of the sixth inning to pull out the victory.

Cash Wassmer and Jackson had RBI singles during the rally, Hedges and Wilson were hit by pitches with the bases loaded, back-to-back, and Mr. Triple Files followed with a three-run three-bagger.

Files went 2-4 at the plate with three runs batted in, Jackson 2-3 with two runs and two RBIs. Morgan had two hits and scored two runs. Hedges drove in two runs, Wilson, Rael and Wassmer one apiece.

Laurel

The Mustangs managed to get in one game at Laurel Tuesday evening before the skies opened up, washing out the second game of a scheduled doubleheader.

In the lone game, the Mustangs once again fell behind and this time couldn’t recover enough to win. Laurel led 7-1 after four innings, but Lovell rallied for three in the top of the fifth.

Laurel scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth to lead 9-4, and Lovell pulled close with four in the top of the sixth. Files doubled home two in the inning, and Hedges added an RBI single.

After shutting the home team out in the bottom of the frame, the Mustangs got two on with two out in the seventh, but a fly ball ended the game.

Jackson and Hedges finished with two hits each for the Mustang, and Hedges drove in three runs, Files two.

Wassmer started on the bump and allowed nine runs, eight earned, in five innings of work on eight hits and two walks, striking out two. Edwards threw a perfect sixth.

Home games

Now 16-17, the Mustangs host the Buffalo Bulls Friday at 4 p.m. for a doubleheader, then welcome Laurel Tuesday at 4 p.m. for a pair.