Mustangs Hold Off Voyagers 6-4 for Fourth Straight Win

GREAT FALLS-The Billings Mustangs jumped out to a 5-0 lead and held off a comeback attempt from the Great Falls Voyagers to take a 6-4 victory in the series opener at Centene Stadium on Tuesday night.

Billings (13-12, 38-33) earned their fourth win in a row, continuing their longest road winning streak of the season, while also matching their season-high mark of five games over .500. Great Falls (13-12, 40-32) has now dropped four in a row.

After a scoreless first, the Mustangs struck first in the second off Great Falls starter Matt Thomas. A walk and single put two on with one out. A fielder's choice and stolen base put two men in scoring position for Burle Dixon. Dixon lined a 1-2 pitch into left field, scoring both runners and staking Billings to a 2-0 lead.

The lead was plenty sufficient for Kenny Serwa, who allowed a single in both the second and third innings, but nothing more. In the fourth, a leadoff walk was promptly erased by a 6-3 double play, eliminating a scoring threat right away.

In the fifth, Billings doubled the lead. Jordan Barth legged out a leadoff double, then moved to third when Dixon laid down a bunt. However, a fielding error allowed Dixon to reach, putting runners on the corners. A sacrifice fly from Jacob Kline scored Barth, then Jackson Raper followed with a double off the wall in right-center, bringing home Dixon for a 4-0 Mustangs lead.

In the sixth, the Mustangs pushed the lead out further against Great Falls reliever Ethan Swanson. Parreira led off the inning by drawing a walk. With a 3-2 count on Abraham Mow, Parreira took off and scored on a double down the left-field line by Mow, pushing the Billings lead to 5-0.

Great Falls came alive in the sixth, though. With one out, Riley Jepson circled the bases on an inside-the-park home run. Great Falls then strung together three more hits, with RBI singles from Collin Runge and Christopher Deguzman closing the gap to 5-3.

Billings got a run back in the top of the seventh as Jacob Kline led off with a double and moved to third on a single from Gabe Wurtz. After a pitching change, Andrew Fernandez lifted a fly ball to shallow center. Kline challenged the arm of Jake Malec and slid in just ahead of the tag, scoring on the sacrifice fly.

Great Falls, though, answered right back. After a one-out double, Riley Jepson slapped a two-out single into the left field off Darien Ragins to bring in Breydon Daniel, closing the gap back to two runs. However, Kelvan Pilot came out of the 'pen to strike out Chris Monroe, ending the inning.

Pilot came back and fired a scoreless eighth, working around a two-out walk with two more strikeouts. Beaux Bonvillain then came on for the ninth. He allowed a leadoff single to pinch-hitter Derek Kolbush, but struck out Daniel and Malec, before getting Jepson on a comebacker to nail down a 6-4 win.

The Mustangs will have play the middle game in Great Falls on Wednesday. Billings will start LHP Patrick Maybach (1-3, 6.00) while Great Falls counters with RHP Breon Pooler (3-2, 5.36). Pregame on Wednesday on the home of the Mustangs, ESPN 910/105.5 FM with Brennan Mense will begin at 6:40 ahead of a 7:00 p.m. first pitch.