Mustangs Fall Short to NoCo 6-3
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Billings Mustangs | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 1 |
|
Northern Colorado Owlz | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 13 | 0 |
The Mustangs fall short to Northern Colorado by a score of 6-3.
Billings is now a half-game behind the Missoula Paddleheads for the second-half North Division standings. The good news is Missoula has to win three straight to clinch, as they have to make up a game with Idaho Falls Sunday afternoon.
The Mustangs struck first in the opening inning as Taylor Lomack crushed a solo home run to left field, putting his team ahead 1-0. However, the Owlz responded with a big second inning, capitalizing on an error and timely hitting. Tim Bouchard's home run and an RBI single from Euro Diaz propelled Northern Colorado to a 3-1 lead.
The Mustangs fought back, with Mikey Edie's triple and Lomack's sacrifice fly in the third inning, narrowing the gap to 3-2. But the Owlz continued to pile on, with Bouchard's double in the fifth inning and Henry George's sacrifice fly in the sixth, extending their lead to 6-2.
Billings attempted a late comeback in the eighth inning when Edie drove in Luke Fennelly with a single, but the Owlz bullpen held firm, securing the 6-3 victory.
Starting pitcher Will Buraconak (6-4) earned the win for Northern Colorado, striking out eight over 7.1 innings. Cory Wills (Sv, 13) closed out the game in relief.
Luke Trueman (5-5) took the loss for the Mustangs, lasting five innings and allowing five runs.
The Mustangs take on the Owlz for game two of the three-game Jefferson Lines Road Trip Friday evening. Coverage starts at 6:45 p.m. with first pitch at 7:05 p.m. on ESPN910/105.5 KBLG or ESPN910.com. You can also watch every pitch on FloSports.