Denning's Homer Gives Mustangs Three-in-a-Row

A mammoth three-run home run by Connor Denning pushes the Mustangs past the Great Falls Voyagers by a final score of 8-5. 

Mustangs (7-13) surrendered a five spot in the top of the 7th, but the Mustangs fought from behind to combine for five runs of their own over the next two innings to pick up their third win in a row, their first series win, and now Billings has won four of their last five games. 

The Mustang picked up their first run in the bottom of the 1st, as center fielder Taylor Lomack hit an infield single. With two outs, third-baseman Tyler Wilber hit his first of three base hits to score Lomack and make it 1-0. 

In the bottom of the 3rd, with two outs, left fielder Gabe Wurtz reached on a walk from Great Falls (5-13) starting right-hander Shane Gustafson (1-3). Two batters later, second-baseman Luke Fennelly hit an RBI double down the left field line to bring home Wurtz and make it 2-0. 

Billings scored another run in the 5th when Fennelly hit Denning home to make it 3-0. 

Mustang starting right-hander Jalen Evans tossed five innings, giving up no runs on two hits, four walks, and he struck out a season-high five batters. Evans handed the ball to right-hander McLain Harris in the 6th. Harris allowed the first two men to single, both knocks into left field from Great Falls first-baseman Riley Jepsen and left fielder Jake Malec. Harris retired the next three to escape unscathed. 

The Voyagers sent 10 men to the dish in the top of the 7th. Harris walked the first two hitters in designated hitter Derek Kolbush and second-baseman Cal Bocchino, which set up for a two-RBI triple from catcher Billy Hancock to make it 3-2. Harris did retire the shortstop Matthew Richardson, but two errors on the Mustangs middle-infielders, Casey Harford and Fennelly, allowed two more runs to score and make it 4-2. 

Keagan McGinnis entered the game for the Mustangs with one out in the top of the 7th, and third baseman Colin Runge greeted McGinnis with an RBI single to make it 5-3. McGinnis eventually worked out of the inning on a 3-2-3 double play, where Kolbush grounded to the Mustang first-baseman Lance Logsdon, throwing to catcher Antonio Fernandez, who tossed it back to Logsdon to end the Great Falls threat. 

Harris tossed one-and-a-third innings giving up five runs, three earned, on three hits and a pair of walks. McGinnis tossed one-and a third giving up no runs on two hits and no walks. 

The Mustangs tied it up when Denning walked with one out in the bottom of the 7th, and Gustafson hit Wurtz with a pitch, allowing Wilber to walk on a full count. 

With bases loaded, Fennelly hit a two-RBI single to give him four RBIs on the night and tie the game up at 5. 

With two outs, the Mustangs opted for a left-hander to face the left-handed Jepsen, and Omar Sanchez (1-0) retired Jepsen.

With two outs in the bottom of the 8th in a tie game, Harford singled down the left-field line, allowing Lomack to walk - sending Denning to the dish. Denning hit a ball traveling over 440 feet to right-center to give the Mustangs an 8-5 lead. 

Mustang right-hander Tyler Statler entered the game to shut the door in the top of the 9th. Statler retired the first two before giving up back-to-back base hits to center-fielder Ryan McCarthy and right fielder Anthony Herron Jr. 

With the tying run at the dish in Kolbush, Statler sent him down swinging with a curveball to end the game, giving Statler his third save in as many Mustang ball games. 

The Mustangs go for the sweep at 6:35 p.m. Thursday with pre-game coverage starting at 6:15 p.m. on ESPN 910/105.5 FM or espn910.com. You can also watch every pitch on FloSports.