Mustangs Hold on to One-Run Victory After Derby Win
August 2, 2025 - Pioneer League (PL)
Billings Mustangs News Release
After blowing late leads early in the week and being held off the scoreboard the night before, the Billings Mustangs (9-8) bounced back with a 4-3 victory over the Great Falls Voyagers (6-11) on Saturday night at Dehler Park.
Daniel Foster (7-1) picked up the win to tie him for the league lead in victories. The southpaw tossed six innings of one run ball for his fifth quality start of the year.
The Voyagers opened the game with a run in the first, but the Mustangs took the lead in the second and never surrendered it. A.J. Shaver, just activated from the Injury List earlier in the morning, drove in a run with an RBI double to get Billings on the board. They took a 2-1 lead one batter later on an RBI groundout by Briley Knight.
Billings added a run in the fourth when Jacob Kline hit an RBI single and then made it 4-1 on a Jack O'Dowd RBI double in the sixth for his second two-bagger of the night.
The Voyagers pulled within two after a run in the seventh and then threatened with the bases loaded and only one out in the eighth.
Mustangs skipper Craig Maddox brought in Jack Maruskin to tackle the situation and after a sacrifice fly by A.J. Fritz made it a 4-3 game, the flamethrower struck out Kyle Schmack to end the inning.
Maruskin came back out in the ninth looking for a five out save and did just that by striking out the side in order to secure the victory.
Prior to the game, the teams held their Homerun Derby night. Shaver defeated Jeff Nicol 9-5 in the first head to head matchup and Cooper Vest outlasted C.J. Colyer 6-4 in their round. That set up a Last Blast Swing-off between Shaver and Vest. The left hander from the Voyagers went first and homered on two of his three swings, but that was no issue for Shaver as the slugger crushed all three of his swings out of park for the win.
The two teams will wrap up the series on Sunday afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 PM MT.
Pioneer League Stories from August 2, 2025
- Beard Tosses Complete Game Shutout in PaddleHeads' Win - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Mustangs Hold on to One-Run Victory After Derby Win - Billings Mustangs
- Rocky Mountain Edges Jackalopes - Grand Junction Jackalopes
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