Mustangs win three of four home games

After running a gauntlet of conference games in mid-June and taking two trips to Montana, the Lovell Mustangs returned home to the Cowley American Legion Field Friday for a doubleheader against the Buffalo Bulls and two more with Laurel on Tuesday at home.

Lovell swept the Friday twin bill 9-6 and 12-2 to improve to 18-17 on the season ahead of a pair against Laurel Tuesday evening.

The Mustangs took a big, early lead Friday in game one, plating seven runs in the second inning to extend a 1-0 lead to 8-0. Alex Hedges doubled home Cash Wassmer in the first inning, and Rocco Rael and Kannon Owens hit two-run singles in the big second. Wassmer, Tucker Jackson and Lafe Files added RBIs in the inning.

Lovell scored an error-aided run in the bottom of the fifth and had the bases loaded, up 9-0, but couldn’t push across the 10th run to end the game on the mercy rule, nor could they score in the sixth.

With manager Michael Jameson giving several young players some playing time, the Bulls started scoring runs in the top of the seventh against relievers Rael, Dallin Bischoff and Owens, aided by three walks, three hit batters and two errors before Owens recorded the final three outs.

Lovell banged out 12 hits in the game, three by Owens and two each by Hedges, Files and Rael. Owens and Rael had two RBIs apiece, Wassmer, Jackson, Hedges and Files one each.

Jackson started on the mound and picked up the win, throwing three scoreless innings and allowing two hits, walking two and striking out six. Rael threw three innings and three batters in a fourth frame, allowing three runs on one hit and three walks.

Bischoff did not record an out in the seventh, allowing three runs, one earned, and Owens got the final three outs while fanning two.

Game two was scoreless until the bottom of the third when Lovell scored five runs, then added seven in the fourth. Files hit a two-run single in the third, Jackson ripped an RBI double and Wassmer and Jaxen Baxendale hit RBI singles.

Buffalo scored a run in the top of the fourth, and the Mustangs put the game away with the seven-run outburst in the bottom of the frame as Wassmer hit an RBI single and Jackson a run-scoring triple. Cove Jolley laid down an RBI squeeze bunt, and other runs scored on a hit batter with the bases loaded (Files), a walk with the sacks loaded (Owen Edwards), a passed ball and a wild pitch.

Buffalo scored one run in the top of the fifth, but the Mustangs held on for the 10-run rule win.

Wassmer and Jackson had two hits each for the Mustangs, and Files drove in three runs, Wassmer and Jackson two apiece.

Files started on the mound for the Mustangs and picked up the win, throwing four innings and allowing just one run on two hits and two walks while fanning three. Hedges pitched one inning and allowed one run on one hit, striking out one.

Laurel games

A somewhat shorthanded Mustangs team split a doubleheader Tuesday with the Laurel Dodgers, dropping the first game 12-6 but winning the second 3-2.

In game one, the Mustangs took a 6-3 lead on a three-run home run by Jackson in the bottom of the second after scoring three in the first and led 6-4 when a lightning delay halted play for a spell. Laurel came off the break hot at the plate and scored two more runs to tie the score 6-6, then plated four more in the fourth and two in the sixth to win. Lovell finished the game with five consecutive scoreless innings at the plate.

Jackson went 3-4 at the plate in the game with four RBIs, a triple, a home run and two runs scored. Wassmer was 3-4 with two doubles and two runs.

Kyle Wilson got the start on the mound and allowed six runs in 2 1/3 innings of work on six hits and three walks while striking out one.  Edwards relieved and allowed four runs, three earned, in two-thirds of an inning on one hit and three walks. Owens threw the final four innings, allowing two runs on four hits, fanning one.

Game two was a pitchers’ duel as Bischoff threw a gem in the 3-2 win. Lovell scored two in the bottom of the first on a two-run dinger by Jackson after a one-out single by Wassmer.

Laurel got one back in the top of the fourth, an unearned run scored on an error, but the Mustangs countered with a run of their own in the bottom of the frame to lead 3-1. Jaxson Miller drove home Owens, who had singled and stolen second. The Dodgers added one more in the top of the seventh on a two-out wild pitch by reliever Jackson, but Jackson fanned the final batter to preserve the win.

Owens had two hits for the Mustangs, and Jackson had the two-run homer. 

Bischoff picked up the win on the mound, throwing 6 1/3 inning and allowing two runs, one earned, on nine hits and two walks, fanning one. Jackson threw the final two-thirds of an inning, allowing no runs and no hits, walking one and fanning one.

The Mustangs played without veterans Files and Hedges, who were attending the national FBLA conference with the Rocky Mountain High School chapter.

Team making progress

Manager Jameson said his relatively young team is coming together and gaining confidence.

“At times we’ve played really well. I think our biggest thing is still trying to find that consistency and playing two games,” Jameson said. “It seems like we struggle to put back-to-back games together. In doubleheaders, we’ll play one good game, and then we’ll kind of play a bad game. So it feels like we’re two steps forward, one step back. We’re just trying to figure out a way to keep those guys locked in for two games a day. But I think we’ve shown that we can play some really good baseball, and we’re doing a lot of good things. It’s just being able to do it consistently.”

Jameson said hitting depth in the lineup is a key to the team.

“Those top four or five guys have done a great job for us since day one,” he said. “And, yeah, that’s been the biggest hurdle for us offensively, just getting more consistency up and down the lineup. Kyle Wilson, I think, has done a good job of making some adjustments at the plate, and Rocco and Kannon and guys like that have done a good job of improving and making adjustments, and (we’re) starting to see some contributions.

“Guys are starting to get hot at the right time and, hopefully, will carry that momentum into the last month of the season.”

He added that Jackson, Hedges and Wilson have brought power to the lineup.

As for pitching, the team is developing depth, even with the young arms, Jameson said.

“Dallin was just phenomenal for us (Tuesday). That was huge,” Jameson said. “I can’t say enough about that start he had for us. Sometimes it feels like we don’t have enough games for all the guys that we want to get innings. It’s a good problem to have. I feel like we’ve got a lot of depth at pitcher. Some guys aren’t getting as many innings as they probably would in a typical year. It’s nothing they’ve done wrong, just more that we have so many guys we’re trying to work in. And, yeah, that start he (Bischoff) had tonight just shows you how much depth we’ve got and how good he is, as well.

The defense has been generally solid, Jameson said, except for the occasional hiccup, and he noted two outstanding throws to the plate by Jackson and Edwards to nail runners trying to score in game two Tuesday.

Finally, Jameson said the young players on the team are maturing.

“Sometimes as coaches we forget that they’re still, you know, 14 years old,” he said. “I think those guys have even got to the point where they don’t consider themselves rookies. And we expect a lot out of them and don’t hold them to any less of a standard. And they expect a lot out of themselves. But I think they’re just used to playing at the higher level, and they’ve done a great job of stepping in and exceeding what we expect.”

Douglas tourney

Now 19-18, the Mustangs will travel to Douglas this weekend for the annual Douglas Tournament. Saturday, Lovell will play the Laramie Rangers at 2 p.m. and the Green River Knights at 4:30, followed by bracket play on Sunday.

The Mustangs will host Douglas Tuesday for the final two home games of the regular season starting at 4 p.m.