Late Voyagers' Rally Falls Short in Billings

Billings, MT-The Voyagers scored seven runs over the final four frames before the Mustangs finally shut the door in a 9-7 series-opening win Monday night at Dehler Park.

Great Falls (5-9) has lost four in a row overall, and sits at 3-7 on the road this season. Billings (5-11) now has a two-game winning streak, and improved to 3-7 at home.
The Mustangs opened the scoring with a single tally in the second on back-to-back doubles by Edwin Yon and Eric Yang. Billings added to the lead with four in the fourth and two more runs in the fifth. Seven batters came to the plate in both innings. T.J. Hopkins drove in two with a fourth-inning double to center. Leonardo Seminati also had an RBI single. The fourth run scored on a double play groundout. In the fifth, Yon registered an RBI single. The second run came home on a Hopkins fielder's choice for a 7-0 lead.
The two teams traded runs in the sixth. Ty Greene led off the inning for Great Falls with a single lined into right-center. Greene later scored on a Kelvin Maldonado RBI single to left. Billings made it 8-1 with an RBI single to center from Reniel Ozuna that scored Ranser Amador. Amador led off with a single to left.
The Voyagers sent eight to the plate in the seventh and shaved the lead down to 8-6 with a five-run burst. Luis Mieses led off with a base hit to left-center. Cameron Simmons reached on a fielder's choice without an out being recorded. Ty Greene singled to right. Anderson Comas delivered a two-run single to center. Camilo Quinteiro drove an RBI double to right-center. And, Harvin Mendoza brought two more home with a single lined up the left field side. He was thrown out trying to turn it into a double.
An unearned run for Billings in the home half of the seventh made it 9-6. Luis Mieses made it a two-run game again in the top of the eighth with a towering home run that cleared the right-center field wall. The dinger was the first-ever as a Voyager for Mieses. Ty Greene led off the ninth for Great Falls with a line drive single to center, but the next three batters struck out to end the game.
The Mustangs outhit the Voyagers 17-to-12. Billings now has 24 runs on 35 hits in its last two games. Victor Ruiz and Edwin Yon posted three-hit games, while T.J. Hopkins drove in three and scored twice. Ty Greene picked up his first multi-hit game with Great Falls on three singles.
On the mound, Omar Conoropo notched his second win against the Voyagers in relief. Conoropo (2-0) worked four-and-a-third and gave up five earned runs on seven hits with five strikeouts. Dan Metzdorf took the loss. Metzdorf (0-1) lasted three innings and allowed five earned runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and one walk. Jerry D'Andrea earned his first save with three strikeouts and one hit allowed.
                                    
Great Falls closes out its five-game road trip with game two at Billings Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:35. The Voyagers return home to face the Mustangs at Centene Stadium starting Wednesday, July 3^rd. For season tickets and promotional information, call 406-452-5311 or visit www.gfvoyagers.com.