Mustangs Mount 11-Run Inning to Down Owlz

GREELEY, Colo. -- The Owlz gave up 11 runs in the sixth inning and nine unearned runs on the box score, a recipe for their second-straight loss at home.

It's also their third-straight loss to Billings (4-3) this season. After allowing 10 runs in each of their previous matchups, NoCo (2-4) surrendered 16 in Tuesday's 16-2 loss.

NoCo committed four costly errors. It led to more than half of the Mustangs' run total going down as unearned. Two errors at occured at third base and two more took place in the outfield.

A dropped two-out fly ball kept the deciding sixth inning alive, resulting in six more Mustang runs. The home half of that inning lasted nearly 40 minutes.

And thanks to a bundle of Billings blunders, both the Owlz runs went down as unearned too.

They finished the game with just seven hits, giving them 13 combined hits over their past two games. Billings finished Tuesday with 16 of them.

Even so, NoCo delivered the first blow. It found first-inning scoring for the third game in a row

Stop me if you've heard this before: Kevin Higgins had a multi-hit day. It's his 24th multi-hit game of the year.

The first one came in the first inning, and it scored the first run of the game. The shortstop snuck a single through the right side to score Matt Turner and turn the tides in favor of the Owlz. 

Will Buraconak (L, 3-3) rode that wave well. Through the first three innings, the super-sized southpaw struck out two and allowed a just single baserunner. 

Even into the fourth, when he allowed his first run of the game, he battled Billings batters well. Mason Dinesen's leadoff single came after a nine-pitch at-bat. Buraconak baited Jacob Kline too, striking him out after seven pitches. 

Game tied 1-1, Higgins headed the fourth-inning with his second single. Two at-bats later, Ty Lewis looped an RBI double down the left-field line and Higgins high-tailed it home.

Owlz led 2-1. And then came the collapse.

Buraconak lasted through the fifth, allowing three unearned runs in that inning. When he left, he'd put forth his fourth-straight outing of five-plus innings. He struck out six on the night.

However, the Owlz trailed 5-1.

And then NoCo needed three pitchers in the 11-run sixth inning alone. The Mustangs almost batted around twice, firing off four extra-base hits. 

It's the most runs the Owlz have allowed in any inning all year. By using six total pitchers, they matched the most arms they've used in a single game this season as well.

At the same time, though, the Owlz struck out 13 Mustangs in all. That total ties a season-high for single-game strikeouts by this staff.

Tuesday's tussle is a struggle Noco will need to quickly forget. Lucky for them, they get five more bouts with Billings over the next five days. Plenty of opportunity to right the ship.

The next one will be Wednesday, with first pitch scheduled for 4:05 p.m. Join us at Jackson Field as right-handers Preston Snavely and Kenny Serwa are set to square off in game two of this week's six-game series.