Riders beat Billings Thursday, fall in Great Falls Friday
The Glacier Range Riders got a little magic back in the Magic City Thursday, before falling Friday at Great Falls as their second half of the Pioneer League season continues to challenge.
Crews Taylor homered and Mason Dinseon scored three runs as the Range Riders beat the Billings Mustangs 8-6 Thursday. Then they took to the road for three games with the Great Falls Voyagers, losing the opener 6-4 at Centene Field.
Range Riders 8, Mustangs 6
The fourth and final lead change in Friday’s game in the ninth inning, when Glacier scored four runs. Taylor’s two-run homer, his 11th, against his former team knotted the score at 6-all.
After two were down Matt Clayton hit an RBI single that scored Dinesen for a 7-6 lead.
Dean Miller, who reached on an error and moved up on Clayton’s single and a walk to Christian Kirtley, scored the game’s final run on a wild pitch.
Justin Coleman, who came on with one out in the eighth inning, got the win and improved to 4-0. He retired all five Mustangs he faced, two by strike out.
Jonathan Clark had a solid start for Glacier, going 6 2-3 innings and allowing six hits and, a walk and three earned runs. He struck out five and left with a 4-3 lead. Then Mitch Moralez greeted reliever Ben Ferrer with a two-run homer, his ninth, putting Billings back in front.
Voyagers 6, Range Riders 4
The host Voyagers ate up a 4-2 deficit Saturday with a four-run sixth inning, started by Collin Runge’s RBI triple and capped by Gregory Ryan Jr. getting hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
That offset a nice sixth-inning rally by the Range Riders, who took a 3-2 lead on Kingston Linaak’s 11th homer, a two-run shot; Colin Gordon followed with an RBI double that scored Taylor, who walked.
Charley Hesse hit a two-run homer to put Great Falls (10-6 this half) ahead 2-1 in the third inning. It was his fourth round-tripper.
Glacier fell to -11 this half, and has lost five of six games.
Starting pitcher Nick Zegna (5-3) allowed five runs in five innings, fanning four. Roy Robles and John Natoli teamed up for three scoreless innings.
Dinesen also doubled for Glacier.
The Voyagers and Range Riders squared off again Saturday night, and play the series finale Sunday afternoon.