Riders win home finale

There were quite a few differences between the last Glacier Range Riders home game of the season and the first.

Mostly, it was a lot drier. A storm that threatened from the east stayed there, the wind blew the smoke out before first pitch, and the Range Riders ended their homestand against the Great Falls Voyagers with a 6-4 victory Wednesday at Flathead Field.

Dean Miller smashed a 2-run homer off the netting in the bottom of the first got the Range Riders on the board early, also scoring Brandt Broussard, who was walked a few minutes before. It was Miller’s 15th HR of the season.

Glacier doubled its lead to 4-0 in the third when Ben McConnell’s double drove in Miller and Ryan Cash.

Cash also singled and stole second base after Brandt Broussard’s flyout to center field.

In the fourth, Broussard singled to center field and drove in Mason Dinesen.

Great Falls’ Collin Runge scored an unearned run on an error in the fifth.

Dinesen capitalized on an error in the bottom of the inning, advancing Eddie McCabe to second and allowing Brody Wofford to score.

Attendance was counted at 2,622, a season record. First pitch was preceded by a ceremony honoring families who hosted Range Riders players. Most players met their hosts on the field bearing flower bouquets, and many hugs were exchanged in what was a bittersweet moment for both parties.

Nearly grown children were held up during the “Simba Cam” segment, and mascot Cliff cheered a tiny girl during the children’s tractor race. Huck, the other mascot, handled “YMCA” dance duties. Eight residents of the Montana Veterans home took in the game from a suite, and the crowd bellowed its support when their names flashed on the scoreboard, their good spirits no doubt encouraged by a helping of beef brisket from the Arn’s BBQ food truck.

Lukas Polanco hit a 3-run homer in the eighth and got the Voyagers within 6-4, but two swinging strikeouts and a line out to the shortstop in the ninth ended the comeback.

Range Riders starting pitcher Kevin Kyle went six innings, striking out five, walking five and allowing one run on four hits.

Kyle was efficient, throwing 52 strikes on 98 pitches. He got the Riders out of an early bases loaded jam in the first with a strikeout to end the inning that stranded three Great Falls runners on base.

Great Falls’ starter Quincy Jones (no, not that Quincy Jones, the other one) struck out three batters and walked four in four innings.

The Range Riders and Voyagers move their series to Great Falls to close out the season.

Voyagers 000 010 030 - 4 7 1

Range Riders 202 110 00x - 6 8 1

Quincy Jones, Anthony Becerra-Lopez (5), Brett Lorah (8) and Lukas Polanco. Kevin Kyle, Yasnier Laureano (7), John Natoli (8), Nathan Thomas (9) and Austin Bates.

GREAT FALLS VOYAGERS — Collin Runge 1-4, Jake Malec 1-3, Breydon Daniel 0-5, Michael Deeb 1-3, Charley Hesse 0-3, Cristopher DeGuzman 2-3, Aaron Simmons 1-4, Lukas Planco 1-4, Fernando Loera 0-4.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Ryan Cash 1-5, Brandt Broussard 2-4, Dean Miller 1-3, Brody Wofford 0-3, Eddie McCabe 2-2, Ben McConnell 1-4, Ryan Cole 0-3, Mason Dinesen 1-4, Austin Bates 0-3, Livingston Morris 0-1.

2B — McCabe, McConnell. HR — Polanco (4), Miller (15). RBI — Polanco 3, Broussard, Miller 2, McConnell 2, Dinesen.