Lovell Legion Baseball teams win three of five games

The Lovell Mustangs young B/C American Legion Baseball team continued their winning ways Monday night by defeating the Greybull Senior Little League Bandits 17-2 at the Cowley Legion Park.

The Bandits filled in when Lander cancelled a planned doubleheader.

Greybull scored one run in the top of the first inning off Lovell starter Dane Wilson, but it was all Lovell after that as the Mustangs plated four runs in the bottom of the first, three in the second, six in the third and four in the fourth. Greybull added a second run in the top of the second frame.

The Mustangs banged out 20 hits in four innings including an inside-the-park homerun by Aaiden Walker, triples by Wilson and Jaxen Baxendale and doubles by Bradley Mickelson, Dax Mangus and Harper Morgan.

Mickelson went 4 for 4 at the plate with three runs batted in, Jaxen Baxendale 3-3 with two runs scored and an RBI, Morgan 2-3 with four RBIs and Xaden Baxendale 2-4 with three runs scored.

Wilson allowed two unearned runs as the starting pitcher in two innings of work, striking out five, and relievers Madden Cooley, Morgan and Bryhsan Henton threw one scoreless inning each.

The Mustangs, 4-0, played at Powell Wednesday evening for a doubleheader and are scheduled to travel to Cody June 18 for a pair starting at 3 p.m.

Mustangs A

The Lovell Mustangs A team got on the winning track with two wins at the Torrington Tigers Bullock Tournament last Thursday through Saturday. The Mustangs fell to the Cheyenne Post 6 Hawks 3-0 Thursday and the Douglas Cats 7-4 Friday, then swept the Peltz Company Spartans of Alliance, Nebraska, 8-3 and 7-4, on Saturday.

In the Cheyenne game, Dallin Bischoff – three runs in four innings – and Easton Morgan – no runs in two innings – pitched well, but the Mustang offense could manage only one hit, a single by Morgan.

Then in Friday’s game, Douglas led 7-1 before the Mustangs put a scare into the Cats with three runs in the bottom of the seventh before falling. Kyle Wilson had two hits in the game, Cash Wassmer, Mac Morgan, Easton Morgan and Bischoff one each.

Wilson allowed five runs, three earned, on eight hits while fanning six in six innings of work as the starting pitcher for the Mustangs. Mac Morgan allowed two runs in the seventh on a pair of hits.

Doubleheader sweep

Lovell led Peltz 2-1 Saturday before scoring two in the fifth inning and four in the sixth to pull away. Wassmer ripped a two-run double in the sixth to propel the Mustangs and finished the game with four RBIs. Wilson had two hits, including a double, for the ‘Stangs.

Rocco Rael went the distance on the mound for Lovell, allowing three runs in seven innings on seven hits and two walks, fanning seven.

Lovell held on to win game two Saturday, leading 2-0 after one, 3-2 after three, 5-2 after four, 6-4 after five and 7-4 in the end. Wassmer went 3-4 with two RBIs and a run, and Wilson and Mac Morgan recorded two hits apiece. Rael had the lone extra-base hit, a double.

Kannon Owens started on the hill for the Mustangs, scattering 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings of work, allowing four runs, two earned, while whiffing nine to pick up the win. Wassmer got the final two outs, one of them a strikeout.

“Our pitchers have been phenomenal for us all year long and have kept us in games and given us a chance to win pretty much every game,” manager Michael Jameson said. “This weekend was no different as we got extremely strong performances from all four of our starters – Dallin Bischoff, Rocco Rael, Kyle Wilson and Kannon Owens.

“Offensively, we have struggled to score runs, so it was nice to see the team find ways to score and come up with a couple wins. Hopefully, we can keep the momentum from the weekend going and continue to get better at the plate. Having a pretty young team, we are still trying to develop an identity and working on our mental toughness and understanding that baseball is hard.”

Now 2-9, the Mustangs have a busy week ahead. First, they travel to Billings for the Buffalo Wild Wings Tournament, playing the Billings Cardinals today (Thursday) at noon and Helena, Montana, at 2:30 p.m. at Musburger Field, the Sheridan Jets Friday at 10 a.m. at Pirtz Field and the Lethbridge Miners Saturday at 5:30 p.m., also at Pirtz. They also travel to Powell for a conference doubleheader Tuesday at 5 p.m.