Mustangs Rally for Fifth Straight Win, 4-3 over Idaho Falls
September 8, 2022 – Pioneer League (PL) – Billings Mustangs News Release
BILLINGS-Abraham Mow had homered and tripled and Burle Dixon had three hits and scored the game-winning run as the Billings Mustangs rallied from two runs down to defeat the Idaho Falls Chukars 4-3 on Wednesday night at Dehler Park, securing the Mustangs’ fifth straight win.
Billings (26-19, 51-40) secured their fifth consecutive as they open the series with a third straight win over Idaho Falls (20-25, 47-46). The Mustangs also set a Dehler Park record with their 29th win at home this season.
In the top of the first, Idaho Falls took the lead against Billings starter Kelvan Pilot. After a strikeout to begin the game, the Chukars strung together three straight singles. The third one, which came from Hunter Hisky, scored a run, but Burle Dixon threw out Dusty Stroup at the plate to end the inning. Later in the frame, Brian Parreira flipped to Pilot covering on a wild pitch to throw out another runner, limiting the damage to just one run.
After three scoreless innings on the other side by Idaho Falls’ Jack Dicenso, the Chukars added another run in the fourth. Against reliever Jack Cunningham, Tyler Kelly reached on an infield single, advanced on a groundout, then scored when Brandon Bohning snuck a single up the middle, making it 2-0.
In the bottom of the inning, though, the Mustangs cut the deficit in half. Leading off the frame, Abraham Mow swatted a 1-1 fastball to right field, clearing the fence for an opposite-field home run. The longball, his third, trimmed the Chukar lead to 2-1.
In the sixth, Idaho Falls got the run back against Patrick Maybach. A leadoff error put Hunter Hisky at second with one out. After a wild pitch, a sacrifice fly from Brendan Hueth scored Hisky to make it 3-1 on an unearned tally.
In the bottom of the inning, Billings even things up. Dixon led off with a hustle double down the left field line, his second of the game. Mow followed by lining a 3-0 pitch to center that eluded a diving Damani Thomas and rolled behind him for an RBI triple. Two batters later, Jackson Raper rolled a soft ground ball to second against a drawn-in infield, but Mow got a good break and hustled home to tie the game at three.
From there, the bullpen buckled down as Maybach threw a 1-2-3 seventh and Byron Smith did the same in the eighth.
In the bottom of the eighth, Dixon legged out an infield hit, his third of the night, and moved to second on a throwing error. A groundout from Mow moved Dixon to third. After a strikeout, though, Keagan McGinnis spiked a pitch in the dirt that eluded Hisky, allowing Dixon to trot home with the go-ahead run.
Zach Penrod then came on and retired the Chukars 1-2-3 in the ninth to nail down his second save, preserving a 4-3 win.
The Mustangs will play game four at Dehler Park on Thursday night against the Idaho Falls Chukars. Billings will start LHP Elijah Gill (3-1, 2.98) while Idaho Falls will throw RHP Tyler Wyatt (1-0, 8.01). Pregame on Thursday on the home of the Mustangs, ESPN 910/105.5 FM with Brennan Mense will begin at 6:15 ahead of a 6:35 p.m. first pitch.
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