Range Riders fall to Mustangs Friday, 7-6

BILLINGS — The Glacier Range Riders were up 4-0 and then had a comeback fall short Friday, dropping a 7-6 decision to Billings in Pioneer League baseball at Dehler Park.

The Range Riders (10-4) saw their five-game win streak end despite some early momentum: A bases-loaded walk to Kingston Liniak and a wild pitch scored two runs for a 3-0 lead in the second inning; Ben Fitzgerald’s sixth home run made it 4-0 in the third.

Billings (4-12) scored the game’s next seven runs, starting with Mitch Moralez’ RBI single in the third inning. Moralez added a 3-run home run in the fifth that put the Mustangs up 5-4, and when Taylor Lomack homered three batters later it was 6-4.

Connor Denning hit an RBI triple in the sixth to put Billings up 7-4, and that was just enough.

Crews Taylor’s base hit drove in Mason Dinesen in the eighth inning, cutting the gap to two. In the ninth a sacrifice fly by Matt Clayton scored Jackson Raper and moved the tying run, Eddie McCabe, at third. Then Dinesen grounded out to end it.

Fitzgerald sits second in the Pioneer League in homers behind Grand Junction’s Ron Washington, Jr., who has seven. The Range Riders’ Gabe Howell had two more hits, raising his season average to .389.

Billings scored six runs off Range Riders starting pitcher Rob Hamby, who allowed eight hits and a walk in five innings. He fanned six.

The teams play Saturday and Sunday before Glacier heads west to face Missoula for three games beginning Tuesday.

Riders 121 000 011 - 6 11 1

Mustangs 001 141 00x - 7 13 0

Rob Hamby, Connor Housley (6), Joseph Kinsky (7), Ryan Cloude (8) and

Jared Kengott, McLain Harris (5), Omar Sanche (8), Nate Jenkins (9) and

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Gabe Howell 2-3, Crews Taylor 1-3, Kingston Liniak 0-3, Jackson Raper 2-4, Eddie McCabe 2-5, Ben Fitzgerald 2-5, Matt Clayton 0-5, Mason Dinesen 1-4, Ben McConnell 1-3, Ryan Cash 0-1.

BILLINGS MUSTANGS — Luke Fennelly 1-4, Connor Denning 4-5, Mitch Moralez 2-5, Lance Logsdon 0-2, Tyler Wilber 0-1, Luke Trueman 0-0, Mikey Edie 0-0, Gabe Wurtz 2-4, Taylor Lomack 1-4, Bryce Donovan 1-4, Trevor Johnson 2-4, Casey Harford 0-3.

2B — Howell, Donovan, Johnson. 3B — Denning. HR — Fitzgerald (6), Moralez, Lomack. RBIs — Taylor, Liniak, McCabe, Fitzgerald, Clayton, Moralez 4, Denning, Lomack, Johnson.