Mustangs Surrender 6-3 Lead, Rubber Match, in 8-6 Loss

The Mustangs took a 5-3 lead in the top of the second inning, but fall to the Rocky Mountain Vibes 8-6. 

In the bottom of the first, with left-hander Pat Maybach on the hill for the Mustangs, Maybach would hit the first batter he sees in Brandon Crosby, who had to be removed from the game with a lower leg injury. Brett Carson would hit a ball back to Maybach in the next at-bat, which Maybach sailed over the first-baseman Wurtz's head. Pinch runner Nick Michaels would score, to advance Carson to third. First-baseman Casey Petersen hit a sacrifice fly to score Carson to make it 2-0. A single followed by designated hitter Jacob Barfield brought left-fielder Edmond Americaan to the dish, who doubled home Barfield and make it 3-0.

Mustangs picked up five runs in the top of the second after a leadoff single by third-baseman Tyler Wilber to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Designated hitter Brady West hit into a fielder's choice, cutting down Wilber. However, starting left-hander for Rocky Mountain Kevin Dickey walked both catcher John Michael FAile and right-fielder Bryce Donovan. 

Left-fielder Taylor Lomack singled both West and Faile home. It's the first game with multiple RBIs for Lomack. Second baseman Connor Denning walked to load the bases for first-baseman Gabe Wurtz, who walked home Faile and make it 3-3. Donovan would score on a passed ball to give the Mustangs the lead, and shortstop Mitch Moralez hit a fielder's choice RBI to first to extend the advantage to 5-3. 

Billings extended its lead in the third on a wild pitch, as Wilber walked to start the inning, made it to third on a West single, and came home to make it 6-3. 

Rocky Mountain scored in their next three innings to tie it at 6 by the sixth inning. In the fourth, American reached on a hit by pitch, then a Lopez single advanced Americaan to third, where he would score on a passed ball. Lopez advanced on that play, and then scored on a Pat Maybach wild pitch. Maybach would then strike out the side in the fourth. 

Maybach put the leadoff runner aboard in the fifth, which would end his night. Right-handed reliever Nate Jenkins walked the next two batters to load the bases, and with two outs, walked Ethan Lopez to score Brett Carson and tie it at 6. 

In the seventh, Jenkins walked Carson with two outs, to bring up third-baseman Dusty Stroup who tripled Carson home and gave the Vibes a 7-6 lead. 

In their six consecutive scoreless innings, the Mustangs would leave runners in scoring position stranded in the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh. This in part to a fantastic outing by right-hander Marvin Guzman (2-0) who tossed four and a third innings giving up just three hits and two walks with nine strikeouts. He picks up the win this evening. 

The Vibes added on in the eighth on three walks issued by Tyler Statler, with an RBI single from Casey Peterson who scored Carson to make it 8-6 - the final score. 

Jenkins (0-1) receives the loss. 

The Mustangs will try to pick up the elusive first road series win in Northern Colorado for three games. Game one starts at 7:05 p.m. with pre-game at 6:45 on ESPN910/105.5 FM or espn910.com. You can also watch every pitch on FloSports.