Homers Fly as Mustangs Drop High Scoring Affair
June 20, 2025 - Pioneer League (PL)
Billings Mustangs News Release
In a game that featured six homeruns and twenty-seven total runs, it was the Missoula PaddleHeads (19-8) who came out on top in a 16-11 win over the Billings Mustangs (12-15) on Thursday night at Allegiance Field.
The Mustangs trailed from the start after the first two men reached for the PaddleHeads in the bottom of the first and came around to score on a three-run homer by Mike Rosario to give Missoula an early 3-0 lead.
The Mustangs answered with a three-run shot of their own by Patrick Mills that cleared the tall wall in right field to tie the game.
After neither team scored in the third, Missoula's offense exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth. Five straight hits started the inning, with an out being recorded on the fifth as Colby Wilkerson was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double. The inning featured another three-run homer, this time from Kamron Willman. Adam Fogel also added a two-run single as the PaddleHeads had themselves a 10-3 lead by the time the inning ended.
The Mustangs did not let the big inning discourage them as they came right back in the top of the fifth. Two singles were followed by two hit batsmen to drive in a run and make it a 10-4 ballgame and gave the Mustangs the bases loaded with nobody out. Tyler Shelnut made it 10-6 with a two-run double and then the fourth three-run jack of the ballgame came off the bat of Jack O'Dowd to make it a one-run game.
Missoula extended their lead to 11-9 in the bottom of the fifth on Roberto Pena's league-leading sixteenth homerun of the season, but Billings responded with a game-tying, two-run bomb by Sean Lynch for his first professional homerun.
Tied at eleven, Missoula would continue to score with a pair of RBI singles in the bottom of the sixth by Alec Sanchez and Willman to make it 13-11.
The Mustangs could not score any more in the ballgame as the PaddleHeads added another run in the seventh and two more in the eighth to make it 16-11.
Zac Lampton (2-1) picked up the win in relief for Missoula as Hollis Fanning (0-1) suffered the loss for Billings.
Game four of the six-game series in Missoula continues on Friday night when Justin Fuson (2-0) takes the hill for the Mustangs against Ryan Wentz (2-2) of the PaddleHeads. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 PM MT.
Tune in to every Mustangs game all season long on their flagship station, ESPN Billings.
Pioneer League Stories from June 20, 2025
- Chuks Drop Fourth in a Row - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Jackalopes Nipped by Vibes - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- PaddleHeads Tally 18 Hits in Win over Mustangs - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Homers Fly as Mustangs Drop High Scoring Affair - Billings Mustangs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
