Mustangs A team as hot as the weather

The Lovell Mustangs are on a roll, finishing the regular season strong.

Heading into the final two home games Wednesday night, the senior Mustangs had won six games in a row to improve their season record to 14-20.

The Mustangs swept the Billings Cardinals in Billings last Thursday, 7-2 and 13-7, and on a steamy Monday, with temperatures hovering near 100 degrees, the Mustangs took two from the visiting Arapahoe High School Warriors of Centennial, Colorado, 10-2 and 10-4.

Billings

Thursday in Billings, Kyle Wilson blanked the Cardinals over the first four innings, and the Mustangs scored four runs in the top of the third to gain an early advantage. Cash Wassmer got the ‘Stangs going with a two-run double and scored on a double by Wilson, who, in turn, scored on a two-bagger by Rocco Rael.

Billings finally scored a run in the fifth, but Lovell put the game on ice with three in the top of the seventh as Kannon Owens singled and scored on a single by Wassmer after Mac Morgan drew a walk. Wilson hit a sacrifice fly to score Morgan, and Wassmer scored on a sac fly from Dax Mangus.

Wilson picked up the win on the mound, allowing just one run in six innings of work on four hits and five walks while striking out four. Dallin Bischoff pitched the seventh, allowing one unearned run on one hit and a pair of walks, fanning two.

Owens and Wassmer finished with two hits each, and Wassmer drove in three runs, Wilson two.

Game two was all Lovell as the Mustangs scored in every inning except the second to build a 13-2 lead before the Cardinals scored five in the bottom of the seventh.

Bischoff got the start on the hill and allowed two runs, one earned, in two innings of work on one hit and two walks while striking out one. Wassmer pitched the final five innings, allowing five runs in the final at-bat, none of them earned, as a pair of errors paved the way for a big inning for the home team. He allowed seven hits and walked two in his five frames and fanned four.

Wassmer was also the hitting leader, going 4-5 with four runs scored. Rael had two RBIs for the Mustangs, Morgan, Aaiden Walker, Bradley Mickelson, Jaxen Baxendale and Bischoff one RBI apiece.

Arapahoe

In game one Monday, the Mustangs broke a 2-2 tie with four runs in the bottom of the fourth as Baxendale tripled to score Mangus and Mickelson, then scored on a balk. Bischoff and Owens walked, and after Bischoff stole third, he scored on a double steal, trotting home as Owens was out at second.

The Mustangs put the game away with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Bischoff and Owens singled, and after Bischoff stole third, he scored on a balk that sent Owens to second. Owens scored on a single by Wassmer, who then came home on a double by Wilson. Mangus singled home Wilson.

Mangus had three hits in the game, Owens, Wassmer and Wilson two each. Wassmer and Baxendale had two RBIs apiece, Wilson and Mangus one.

Morgan picked up the win on the mound, throwing five innings and allowing two runs, one earned, on six hits and two walks while whiffing five. Wassmer pitched two frames, blanking the Warriors on one hit and one walk while fanning one.

A six-run second got the Mustangs rolling in game two as Easton Morgan singled home two, Owens tripled to score two and Walker drove in one with a base hit.

Arapahoe fought back to cut the Lovell lead to two at 6-4, but the home team put the game away with four in the sixth as Walker and Mickelson singled with two out and scored on a double by Owens. Mac Morgan singled, and Wassmer doubled to score Owens and Mac.

Owens went 2-4 in the game with a double, triple and four RBIs. Wassmer had two hits and two RBIs, Walker two hits and an RBI and Easton Morgan two runs batted in.

Easton Morgan started on the mound and allowed four runs on three hits and five walks while striking out one. Bischoff and Mickelson threw two scoreless innings each, neither allowing a hit. Bischoff walked three and struck out one, while Mickelson walked two and fanned four.

Coach Michael Jameson said he is pleased with how his team has been playing of late.

“We have played some good baseball the last few weeks,” he said. “Offensively, we haven’t been as consistent as we would have liked, but we are starting to see more production throughout our entire lineup. Most of our hitters have been receptive to making adjustments in their approach at the plate and continuing to tweak their mechanics as the season has gone on. Our pitchers continue to throw very well and keep us in games, and defensively we have been fairly solid all season long.

“For our team to continue to be successful, it will take a team effort, with contributions coming up and down the lineup offensively. We have shown that when that happens, we can be tough to beat.”

Cody was on the schedule for senior night Wednesday at home, and the Mustangs are scheduled to play in the Bomber Mountain Dog Fight this weekend in Sheridan, playing the Billings Bandits at 1:30 p.m. Friday and the Sheridan Jets Friday at 7:30 p.m. with games Saturday to be determined.