Lightning Delays, Miner Electric, Range Riders Notch Another Shutout

BILLINGS, MT. – The Glacier Range Riders (10-3) are the fastest team to ten wins in the Pioneer League, they haven't allowed a run in 22 innings, and they have won five games straight for the first time in franchise history. All that thanks to a 2-0 win over the Billings Mustangs Thursday night at Dehler Park. Pat Miner picked up his first professional win on the bump, throwing seven innings and allowing just four hits.

Miner's win didn't come without some adversity, though, as the starter had faced the minimum nine batters through the first three innings, thanks to two double plays by his defense, before lightning struck within ten miles of the stadium, cause the game to be paused for over an hour and a half in the middle of the fourth. While Billings shelved their starter coming out of the delay, Miner returned to action and seemed to pitch stronger than before. His first inning back was a 1-2-3 frame with two strikeouts. Miner continued trucking and after a final three up, three down clip in the bottom of the seventh, he handed duties over to two of the Range Riders best relievers.

First, Justin Coleman came on and dotted the strike one with two K's in his inning of work. In the bottom of the ninth, John Natoli came in for the save and silenced the Billings crowd thanks to two fly outs and a ground out. That was Natoli's third save of 2023.

The scoring wasn't much for Glacier, but it was enough. In the first inning, Dean Miller notched an infield single with two outs and Jackson Raper pushed him to second with a base knock. Kingston Liniak, the Glacier leader in two-out RBIs came through with a base hit to score Miller and make it 1-0. Insurance was added in the seventh when Mason Dinesen legged out a fielder's choice then got to second on a Ryan Cash single. Gabe Howell pushed across his sixth run of the series with a base hit to score Dinesen from second.

The Range Riders have never had a winning streak of five or more games in franchise history until tonight's win. It is also the first time in franchise history that they have had two straight shutouts. They look to keep both streaks going tomorrow, June 9^th, as they match up with Billings at 6:35 PM at Dehler Park.