Mustangs Lead North Division After 14-11 Win

The Mustangs take a 14-11 win from the Raptors to secure their second series sweep in a row. 

They now have a half-game lead over the Missoula Paddleheads in the second-half playoff chase and have won 13 in a row. 

The Mustangs picked up a two-run homer in the first inning from John Michael Faile.

The Raptors answered with a two-run homer by Juan Texiara to tie it in the first. 

Luke Fennelly gave the Mustangs a lead in the second with a solo homer to go up 3-2. 

The Mustangs poured on in the third with a sac fly by Mitch Moralez with one out to score Gabe Wurtz who doubled, and Fennelly brought home Faile and Brendan Ryan to go up 6-2. 

Another run came in the fourth on a RBI double by Taylor Lomack to score Mikey Edie to go up 7-2. 

The Mustangs picked up a two-run homer off of Edie's bat inn the fifth after Bryce Donovan slapped a two-out, full count single into right field, and the Ponies led 9-2 after the top of the fifth.

After giving up the two-run homer to Juan Texiara, right-hander Brandon McPherson settled in tossing three scoreless innings. He ran into trouble in the fifth. With one out, he dealt a full-count walk to Reese Alexiades, and a full count single to Johnathan Soto. Texiara brought home Alexiades on a single. Nick Ultch brought Soto and Texiara across the dish on a triple, while Logan Williams slapped home Ultsch for an RBI double and the Mustangs lead narrowed to 9-6. 

The Raptors picked up a run off left-hander Ethan McRae in the bottom of the sixth. With one out, Alexiades brought home Cam Phelts who walked and stole second to make it 9-7. McRae worked out of the inning without any more issues. 

In the eighth, Faile hit his second homer of the day - this one a three run blast. He has now homered five times in four days, including back-to-back two homer games, and that's the fifth time this year he homered twice. 

Fennelly joined the party with a two-run bomb over the left field wall - the first time this season Fennelly went yard twice in a game - and the Mustangs led 14-7. 

The Raptors made things interesting in the ninth. With Keagan McGinnnis already tossing two scoreless innings, McGinnis attempted the three inning save. 

He gave up back to back walks to lead off the inning, and hit Texiara with a pitch on a 2-2 count to load the bases. Ultsch hit a bases clearing triple the next at bat, and Logan Williams got hit by a pitch after Ultsch came home on a wild pitch to make it 14-10. 

The Mustangs opted for lefty Hunter Schilperoort, and he induced a fly ball by Dakota Connors to score Ultsch to make it 14-11. Schilperoort sent down Narea and Phelts on ground balls to end the ball game as Schilperoort receives his seventh save of the year. 

Brandon McPherson picked up the win and he is now 2-0 on the season. 

The Mustangs continue their playoff push Monday evening at Dehler Park against the Great Falls Voyagers for a three-game homestand. Coverage starts at 4:45 p.m. with first pitch at 5:05 p.m. on ESPN910/105.5 KBLG or ESPN910.com. You can also watch every pitch on FloSports.