(Editor’s Note:Billings Mustangs Press Release)
BILLINGS -The Billings Mustangs (13-19) earned their third shutout win of the season on Friday, winning 4-0 over the Idaho Falls Chukars (16-14) in front of 3,264 at Dehler Park.
The Mustangs got on the board in the first, putting eight men at the plate to score three runs on two hits. Quin Cotton led off with an error reach before Reniel Ozuna was hit by a pitch. James Free and Eric Yang then hit back-to-back RBI singles to open up the scoring. The single for Free represented his eighth consecutive reach over his previous four games.
Miguel Medrano threw five shutout innings in the start for Billings, retiring 12 consecutive batters between the first and fifth. It was the third time he’s gone five scoreless innings in a start this year. Medrano (2-1) threw five innings, giving up just one hit, no runs, two walks and striking out a season-high seven batters. He had a no-hitter working through 4 2/3 innings before Kember Nacero hit a two-out double to right.
Matt Lloyd doubled to center to score Yang from first in the fifth to add on to the Billings lead. Lloyd finished 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and a walk while Yang was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
The remaining two hits in the game for the Chukars were both bunt singles. The three hits total for Idaho Falls was an opponent-low for the Mustangs’ pitching staff.
Ian Koch, Frainger Aranguren and Jake Stevenson combined for four shutout innings of relief, striking out four and walking two.
The Mustangs and Chukars will play in the second game of their three-game series Saturday, July 20. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. MDT at Dehler Park
