Mustangs’ Season Ends as Missoula Takes Game 3, 4-2

September 16, 2022 – Pioneer League (PL) – Billings Mustangs News Release

MISSOULA – The Billings Mustangs’ season came to an end on Thursday night in Missoula as the Missoula Paddleheads punched their return ticket to the Pioneer League Championship series with a 4-2 victory in a decisive Game 3 at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field.

Missoula (2-1) will have a chance to defend their Pioneer League championship as they will square off against Grand Junction beginning on Friday. Billings (1-2) sees their run come to an end after a 53-41 season.

In the first inning, Missoula jumped in front with a two-out rally against Billings starter Kelvan Pilot. After the first two hitters were retired, a two-out walk brought Jayson Newman to the plate. On a 2-2 breaking ball, Newman launched a two-run homer to put Missoula in front 2-0.

Offensively, the Mustangs did nothing the first trip through the order against Missoula starter Austen Seidel. The right-hander set down the first ten batters of the contest.

In the third, Missoula added one more against Pilot. Nick Gatewood led off with a single before Pilot responded by retiring the next two batters. Cameron Thompson, though, then lined a triple to right-center to push Missoula’s lead to 3-0. The hit also ended Pilot’s night.

In the fourth, Abraham Mow ended Seidel’s streak of ten straight batters retired by jumping on a 1-1 offering and lining it over the wall in left field for a solo home run, making it 3-1 Missoula.

At that point, the runs dried up for Missoula as Foster Pace came on and set down the side in the fourth and fifth innings in order before working around a two-out single in the sixth.

In the seventh, after Seidel had set down another nine Mustangs in a row, Juan Teixeira connected and ripped a solo home run of his own, trimming the deficit to 3-2.

However, that was as close as the Mustangs would get. In the eighth, Gabe Wurtz led off with an infield single, but a 6-4-3 double play squashed the threat.

In the bottom of the inning, Pace recorded the first two outs of the inning, but Thompson singled on an 0-2 pitch. Kamron Willman followed with a triple off the right-field wall to bring home Thompson with a huge insurance run to make it 4-2 Missoula.

In the ninth, Jordan Barth drew a leadoff walk off Mark Simon, but the Missoula right-hander set down the final three hitters to send Missoula to the Pioneer League Championship, ending the Mustang season.

The Billings Mustangs would like to extend a thank you to all of our fans and sponsors for helping make the 2022 season happen and for supporting the Mustangs organization. The Mustangs look forward to their 70th season of play in 2023.

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