Mustangs Win Rain-Shortened Flathead Field Debut 9-4

KALISPELL-In the historic first game at Flathead Field, Jalen Garcia drove in six runs, Yasnier Laureano gutted through 5.0 innings of one-run ball, and the Billings Mustangs spoiled the first home game in Glacier Range Riders history with a rain-shortened 9-4 win on Tuesday night.

Billings (8-8) snapped a five-game losing streak in the process as they improved to 6-0 this season over Glacier (7-11) who was playing their first home game after 17 straight contests on the road.

The Mustangs quickly made themselves at home in the top of the first inning. Crews Taylor led off the game with a walk, then scored two batters later when Jackson Raper unloaded a long home run over the right field wall. The first homer in Flathead Field history put the Mustangs up 2-0.

One inning later, Billings doubled that lead. After a single and two walks loaded the bases with two outs, Garcia ripped a hot grounder into left-center field to bring in two runs, increasing the lead to 4-0.

Yasnier Laureano labored through the second and third, walking two batters in each inning, but he wiggled out of both jams with no damage, thanks in part to a double play to end the third.

The Mustangs rewarded him further in the fourth as Crews Taylor legged out a one-out triple and scored on a single to right from Garcia, pushing the lead to 5-0.

Glacier answered in the bottom of the fourth against Laureano. Livingston Morris led off with a single, oved to second on a balk, and scored on a single from Sam Linscott. However, another double play ended any chance at a further comeback.

Billings turned around and put the game away in the fifth. After two singles, Nick Ultsch drove in a run with a groundout. Following a walk, Garcia came up with two on and two outs. With a green light on a 3-0 offering, Garcia drove a fastball over the wall in left-center field for a three-run homer, extending the lead to 9-1.

Laureano walked two more in the fifth, but stranded both runners to finish five innings, giving way to Jean Correa in the sixth. However, Correa walked one, hit one, and committed a three-base throwing error, which brought in two runs. After being lifted for Beaux Bonvillain, a groundout to second brought in a third run, but Beauxvillain ended the inning with a strikeout one batter later.

After the completion of the sixth, the game entered a rain delay, only to be called 30 minutes later with the Mustangs emerging as a 9-4 victor.

Garcia went 3-for-4 with a home run and a career-high six RBI while Laureano navigated seven walks to allow just one run on two hits with four strikeouts in 5.0 innings.

The two teams will return for the middle game of the series on Wednesday night. RHP Logan Dubbe (0-1, 9.31) will get the ball for the Mustangs while RHP Rob Hamby (0-0, 0.00) starts for Glacier. Pregame tomorrow night will begin at 6:45 p.m. on ESPN 910/105.5 with Brennan Mense on the call ahead of a 7:05 first pitch in Kalispell.