Miner, Riders top Billings 2-0 Thursday
BILLINGS — The Glacier Range Riders are racking up shutouts, wins. … and weather delays.
Pitcher Pat Miner blanked Billings for seven innings and the Range Riders beat the Mustangs 2-0 for a franchise-record fifth straight Pioneer League win Thursday at Dehler Park.
It was the second straight shutout for the Range Riders (10-3), who are the first PL team to reach 10 wins and continue to lead the Northern Division.
Miner allowed four hits and a walk and struck out four in his first professional win. His outing was split by a lightning delay that lasted 90 minutes in the middle of the fourth inning.
Billings lifted its starting pitcher, Pat Maybach, at that point, but Miner came back out and fanned two in a 1-2-3 fourth inning. He threw three more innings — for a total of 86 pitches — before Justin Coleman and John Natoli split the eighth and ninth. Coleman struck out two and Natoli earned his third save.
A day after routing the Mustangs 11-0, the runs came tougher.
Kingston’s Liniak’s single in the first drove in Dean Miller with the only run Glacier needed; Gabe Howell’s three hits included an RBI single that scored Mason Dinesen with an insurance run in the seventh inning.
The Range Riders and Mustangs (3-12) battle three more times in this six-game series; the opener on Tuesday was delayed an hour by lightning as well.
Riders 100 000 100 - 2 8 0
Mustangs 000 000 000 - 0 6 0
Pat Miner, Justin Coleman (8), John Natoli (9) and Austin Bates. Pat Maybach, Tyler Statler (5), Keagan McGinnis (7), Cam Tullar (8), Hunter Schilperoort (9) and Antonio Fernandez.
GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Gabe Howell 3-5, Eddie McCabe 1-3, Ben McConnell 0-1, Dan Miller 1-5, Ben Fitzgerald 0-0, Jackson Raper 1-4, Kingston Liniak 1-4, Matt Clayton 0-1, Austin Bates 0-4, Mason Dinesen 0-3, Ryan Cash 1-3.
BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Casey Harford 0-4, Connor Dennig 2-3, Bryce Donovan 0-0, Match Moralez 0-4, Lance Logdson 0-4, Tyler Wilber 1-3, Luke Trueman 0-0, Luke Fennelly 1-4, Gabe Wurtz 1-2, Mikey Edie 0-1, Taylor Lomack 0-3, Fernandez 1-3.
2B — McCabe, Fennelly. RBIs — Liniak, Howell.