Mustangs Win Fifth Straight, 8-5 Over Great Falls

GREAT FALLS-The Billings Mustangs received three-run homers from Brian Parreira and Jordan Hovey and 3.2 shutout innings in relief from Foster Pace as they held off the Great Falls Voyagers for their fifth win in a row, winning 8-5 at Centene Stadium.

Billings (14-12, 39-33) tied their season-high mark of six games over .500 and won a fifth straight road contest for the first time since 2011. Great Falls (13-13, 40-33) stranded 11 runners and dropped their fifth straight game.

In the top of the first, the Mustangs got off to a strong start against Voyagers starter Breonn Pooler. With one out, Jacob Kline and Jackson Raper both singled. After a flyout, Pooler was ahead of Parreira 0-2, but the next offering was over the heart of the plate, and Parreira deposited it well past the right-field wall for a three-run homer, staking the Mustangs to a 3-0 lead on the catcher's eighth longball.

In the third, Great Falls found their way onto the board against Mustang starter Patrick Maybach. Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out. Derek Kolbush drove in a run with a sacrifice fly, but Maybach coaxed another flyout to strand two runners and limit the damage to one run.

Billings, though, had an immediate answer. With one out, Andrew Fernandez singles and Bryce Jackson drew a walk. On the first pitch of his at-bat, Hovey detonated a fastball over the right-field wall for another three-run shot, pushing the Mustang lead to 6-1.

The Voyagers did respond back against Maybach right away, though. A one-out walk and a groundout put a runner at second for Jake Malec. Malec slapped a ground ball through the left side for an RBI single.

In the fifth, Great Falls chased Maybach while drawing much closer. With one out, a walk and three singles brought in a run and loaded the bases. Maybach handed off a 6-3 lead to Foster Pace, who induced a roller towards second. Jacob Kline made a sliding stop, but his throw to first was errant, scoring two runs and putting two men at scoring position.

With runners at second and third, Pace then successfully picked Adam Oviedo off second base for a huge second out. Burle Dixon then stepped up and made a diving catch on a liner from Chris Monroe to end the inning and preserve the lead, which was now 6-5.

Billings added a much-needed run in the top of the sixth, A walk and a single began the inning, but a fielder's choice and strikeout put runners at the corners with two outs. Jordan Barth followed with a double off the right field wall, bringing home Parreira to put the Mustangs ahead 7-5.

Pace was able to successfully quiet the Voyager bats in the sixth and seventh innings. He worked around a one-out double in the sixth, then immediately erased a leadoff single in the seventh with a double play.

In the eighth, Billings added one more onto the lead. Jackson doubled with one out and a walk and hit batter loaded the bases with one out for Dixon. On an 0-2 pitch, Dixon hit a chopper to second, but only one out could be recorded, and a run crossed the plate on a fielder's choice.

With an 8-5 lead, Great Falls put two on with no outs against Pace in the eighth, but he retired the next three to cap off his 3.2 scoreless innings.

In the ninth, Beaux Bonvillain came in and promptly issued a walk, his first in over a month, before a single put two with no outs. Bonvillain settled down though, sandwiching two strikeouts around a flyout as he recorded the last three outs, nailing down an 8-5 victory with his 20^th consecutive scoreless outings.

The Mustangs will finally bring the 11-game road trip to an end with Thursday's contest in Great Falls. Billings will start LHP Elijah Gill (2-0, 2.92) while Great Falls counters with LHP Quincy Jones (5-3, 6.82). Pregame on Thursday 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.