Mustangs Battle But Fall Short in 7-5 Loss to Idaho Falls

IDAHO FALLS-The Billings Mustangs battled back from two runs down to take a pair of leads, but the Idaho Falls Chukars pulled back to outlast the Mustangs 7-5 on Thursday night at Melaleuca Field in Idaho Falls.

Jordan Hovey recorded his first three-hit game in six weeks and Billings (9-12, 34-33) notched multiple clutch hits that had been missing in recent weeks, but in the end, Idaho Falls (13-8) and the highest-scoring offense in the Pioneer League pulled things out late.

After the Mustangs went down scoreless in the first, Idaho Falls immediately mounted a rally off Mustang starter Elijah Gill. A leadoff single was erased on a caught stealing, but the Chukars strung together three more hits right behind it, with a two-run single by Hunter Hisky giving the Chukars a 2-0 lead.

The Mustangs had an opportunity to draw closer in the third as Hovey and Crews Taylor singled to put runners on the corners with no outs. However, Chukar starter Tom Walker set down the next three Mustangs to keep Billings off the board.

In the fifth, though, the Mustangs did come through with a pair of clutch hits. Hovey led off with a double, but the next two Mustangs flied out. Gabe Wurtz then rolled a single to right to bring in Hovey, who just beat the throw home. Jackson Raper followed by roping a double into the gap in right-center, scoring Wurtz all the way from first to knot the game at two apiece.

An inning later, the Mustangs took the lead against the Chukar bullpen. Logan Bender entered the game and promptly walked the first two Mustangs. After a wild pitch moved both runners up before Jordan Barth chopped a single through a drawn-in infield to bring in a run. Two batters later against Andrew Cartier, Hovey dunked a single to shallow left-center to drive in a run, putting the Mustangs ahead 4-2.

Idaho Falls, though, had an answer in the bottom of the inning. Leadoff man Thomas DeBonville reached on an error, stole second, and moved to third on an error. Two batters later, Brady West singled on an 0-2 pitch, closing the gap to one run and chasing Gill.

McLain Harris entered the game and promptly surrendered consecutive singles. The second one, a line drive to left by Brandon Bohning, tied the game at four apiece. Steve Barmakian then worked a walk in a 14-pitch at-bat to load the bases with one out. Harris then induced a 6-3 double play off the bat of Jose Reyes to end the inning and keep the game tied.

In the seventh, the two teams again exchanged blows. After Brian Parreira tied the game with an RBI single in the top of the inning, Dusty Stroup crushed a solo home run on the other side of the seventh inning stretch to tie the game back up at five.

In the eighth, Idaho Falls struck the deciding blow with a crippling two-out rally. Following a caught stealing that erased a leadoff hit batter, the Chukars strung together three straight two-out hits. With runners on second and third and two outs, Jose Reyes dumped a bloop single into shallow right-center that drove in two runs to give the Chukars a 7-5 lead.

After throwing a 1-2-3 eighth, Jonathan Nunnally Jr. returned for the ninth and blew away the Mustangs, striking out the side to lock down a 7-5 Chukars win.

The Mustangs play game four against the Idaho Falls Chukars on Friday night. Billings will start RHP Kelvan Pilot (5-4, 4.87) and Idaho Falls will counter with RHP Victor Rodriguez (2-1, 4.55). Pregame on Friday on the home of the Mustangs, ESPN 910/105.5 FM with Brennan Mense will begin at 6:45 ahead of a 7:05 p.m. first pitch.