Mustangs top Riders Friday, 7-1

BILLINGS — Gabe Wurtz homered and drove in four runs Friday, leading the Billings Mustangs to a 7-1 Pioneer League win over the Glacier Range Riders at Dehler Park.

Wurtz hit a solo homer in the first and added an RBI single in the third as Billings (21-31) went up 2-0. After Christian Kirtley hit his fifth homer for Glacier in the fifth inning, Wurtz added a two-run double in the Mustangs’ half of the inning, putting his team ahead 5-1.

Add in a solid start from Daniel Vitriago — six innings, four hits allowed, six strikeouts — and the Mustangs made short work of the Range Riders: As in one hour, 52 minutes.

Kirtley and Mason Dinesen each had two hits for Glacier, which had won 11 of 12 games coming in. The Range Riders continued a 3-game set with the Mustangs Saturday evening.

Riders 000 010 000 - 1 6 1

Mustangs 101 032 00x - 7 10 1

Jonathan Pintaro, Connor Housley (6), John Natoli (8) and Matt Clayton. Daniel Vitriago, Trevor Jackson (7) and Brady West. WP — Vitriago (1-1). LP — Pintaro (3-3). S — West (1).

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Gabe Howell 0-4, Jackson Raper 0-3, Dean Miller 0-4, Kingston Liniak 1-4, Matt Clayton 1-4, Crews Taylor 0-3, Christian Kirtley 2-4, Mason Dinesen 2-4, Sam Linscott 0-2.

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Taylor Lomack 2-3, Connor Dennings 1-4, Gabe Wurtz 3-4, Mitch Moralez 0-4, Alejandro Figueredo 0-3, Luke Fennelly 0-4, Brady West 1-3, Emmanuel Sanchez 1-4, Bryce Donovan 2-4.

2B — Clayton, Wurtz. 3B — Lomack, Donovan. HR — Kirtley (5), Wurtz (8). RBIs — Kirtley, Wurtz 4, Lomack 2, Donovan.