Billings Beats Idaho Falls 5-4

Billings Beats Idaho Falls 5-4
By: Tyson Whiting
The Idaho Falls Chukars couldn't get the big hit in the 9^th inning as they left the bases loaded in a 5-4 loss to the Billings Mustangs on Tuesday night at Melaleuca Field.
Kris Bubic got the start and allowed 3 runs and 7 hits in 5 innings. Billings got on the board first as Drew Mount hit a 2 run single to left to make it a 2-0 Mustangs lead. The Chukars scored 1 in the bottom of the 3^rd on a Nate Eaton sacrifice fly to score Andres Martin.
Chase Vallot tied the game at 2-2 as he hit a solo home run on his 22^nd birthday over the left field wall. It was Vallot's 5^th home run of the year.
Billings added 1 run in the top of the 5^th inning as Mount hit an RBI single to score Satchel McElroy and make it a 3-2 game. Mount finished the game 2 for 3 with 3 RBI's and 2 walks in the game. Mount is 2^nd in the league with 49 RBI's on the year.
Both teams scored 2 runs in the 8^th inning. The big insurance runs for Billings came when Urwin Juaquin hit a 2 run double off Chukars relief pitcher Tyler Gray to make it a 5-2 game. That was the only blemish on Gray's night as he allowed just those 2 runs in 4 innings of relief, striking out 8 batters in the process.
The Chukars scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 8^th on a Nick Hutchins double down the right field line.
In the bottom of the 9^th, the Chukars loaded the bases on 3 Ryan Dunne walks, the last 2 coming with 2 outs. After Dunne walked Atencio and Eaton on 8 straight pitches, Jose Caraballo swung at the first pitch and grounded out to second baseman Uuwin Juaquin to end the game.
The Chukars have split the first 2 games of the 4 game series. Idaho Falls is now 11-12 in the 2^nd half of the season. Game 3 of the series is Wednesday night vs Billings. CJ Eldred will go for the Chukars. He will be opposed by RHP Luis Alecis. 7:15 pm first pitch at Melaleuca Field.
Chukars notes: Chukars were outhit 12 to 8 to Billings. The Chukars are now 4-21 this year when they have been outhit. Kris Bubic and Tyler Gray combined to strike out 14 batters. That means in the last 2 outings, Bubic and Gray have struck out 30 Mustangs. They struck out 16 Billings hitters on August 15^th. Nick Hutchins was the only Chukar with multiple base hits in the game. Hutchins went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's and a double. Nate Eaton went 0 for 3 1ith an RBI sacrifice fly. Eaton also walked once but his hitting streak ended at 8 games. Time of game: 2:48. Attendance: 3,269.