Range Riders rally for 10th straight win Tuesday
Three Glacier hitters homered and three relievers combined on four scoreless innings in a 5-3 Pioneer League win over Billings Tuesday, the Range Riders’ 10th straight victory.
Dean MIller’s RBI single started Glacier back from a 3-0 deficit in the third inning, at Glacier Bank Park. In the fourth Benjamin Fitzgerald and Mason Dinesen hit solo home runs to knot the score at 3-all.
Kingston Liniak’s solo homer, his eighth, in the sixth put Glacier ahead for good, 4-3. Matt Clayton’s RBI single scored Liniak in the eighth with the game’s final run.
Fitzgerald's home run was his eighth; Dinesen hit his seventh.
Starting pitcher Nick Zegna went five innings and left with the game tied 3-3; he allowed six hits, two walks and three earned runs while striking out five.
Noah Barros threw the next two frames, and Michael YaSenka and Justin Coleman split the last two innings. Barros, who fanned two, got the win and is now 5-1. YaSenka and Coleman each struck out two Mustangs and Coleman earned his fifth save.
The second half of the PBL season just began, so Glacier is 1-0 and at worst tied for first in the North Division. The teams battle two more times before the Range Riders head to Billings for three road games against the Mustangs.
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Karan Patel, Nate Jenkins (7), Hunter Schilperoort (7) and John Michael Faile. Nick Zegna, Noah Barros (6), Michael YaSenka (8), Justin Coleman (9) and Matt Clayton. WP — Barros (5-1). LP — Patel (1-4). S — Coleman (5).
BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Mikey Edie 1-3, Connor Dennings 2-4, Gabe Wurtz 1-4, Mitch Moralez 1-3, Faile 0-4, Taylor Lomack 1-3, Luis Navarro 0-3, Tyler Wilber 0-1, Luke Fennelly 1-4, Jason Ajamian 0-3, Jared Fry 0-1.
GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Gabe Howell 0-2, Jackson Raper 1-3, Dean Miller 2-3, Crews Taylor 0-4, Kingston Liniak 2-4, Benjamin Fitzgerald 2-3, Christian Kirtley 0-1, Clayton 1-4, Nick Lucky 0-0, Mason Dineson 1-4, Ben McConnell 0-3.
2B — Denning, Miller. HR — Moralez (9), Liniak (8), Fitzgerald (8), Dinesen (7). RBIs — Denning 2, Moralez, Miller, Liniak, Fitzgerald, Clayton, Dinesen.