Lovell Mustangs win one of three close games

The Lovell Mustangs American Legion A team topped Lockwood, Montana, Friday, then dropped both ends of a doubleheader Sunday against the Class A Sheridan Jets.

The Mustangs got off to a strong start Friday en route to a 7-4 win, scoring three runs in the bottom of the first inning. Scoring came on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Alex Hedges to score Mac Morgan and singles by Kannon Owens and Cove Jolley to score Cash Wassmer and Tucker Jackson.

Lovell added a run in the bottom of the second when Morgan singled and scored on a ringing double by Wassmer.

Lockwood scored a run in the top of the fourth, but the Mustangs made it 6-1 with two in the seventh when Lafe Files walked and scored on a triple by Wassmer, who scored on a base hit by Jackson.

Wassmer started on the mound and threw three scoreless innings. Dallen Bischoff relieved and allowed one run over the next three innings. Owen Edwards threw a scoreless seventh, then got into some trouble in the eighth as Lockwood plated three. Kyle Wilson finished the inning, and Alex Hedges pitched a scoreless ninth.

Lovell added a run in the bottom of the eighth when Edwards walked and scored on a sac fly by Files.

Wassmer went 3-4 with a double, triple, two runs and two RBIs. Owens went 2-4 with one RBI.

Jets game one

Two bad innings spelled doom for the Mustangs in a 14-10 loss to Sheridan in game one Sunday. Trailing 2-1, Sheridan broke the game open with six runs in the top of the second inning, aided by three Lovell errors.

Down 7-2, the Mustangs battled back to outscore the Jets 8-3 over the next five innings, tying the score 10-10. But Sheridan plated four runs with two out in the top of the seventh and blanked the Mustangs in the bottom of the inning to win 14-10.

Morgan led the home team at the plate, going 3-3 with an RBI and three runs scored from the leadoff spot. Hedges hit two doubles and drove in four runs, and Jackson had a pair of hits including a triple.

Lovell’s mostly young lineup committed eight errors in the game, and of Sheridan’s 14 runs, only two were earned against starter Files and reliever Owens. Files threw 4 1/3 innings and allowed eight runs, one earned, on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Owens went 2 2/3 innings, allowing six runs, one earned, on four hits, fanning one.

Jets game two

Game two Sunday was a nail-biter. The Mustangs scored three in the first and three in the second, while Sheridan plated four, to lead 6-4, then 7-4 after three. When the Jets scored three in the fourth, the Mustangs countered in the bottom of the frame on a two-run home run by Hedges to lead 9-7 and held that lead until the seventh when Sheridan scored three runs to lead 10-9, then shut the Mustangs down in the bottom of the inning to win.

Jackson started on the mound and allowed seven runs, three earned, in four innings of work on seven hits and two walks while striking out eight. Hedges threw three innings in relief and allowed three runs on three hits, fanning three.

Now 3-5, the Mustangs will host Miles City, Montana, this weekend for a pair of doubleheaders. Games scheduled are Friday at 5 and 7 p.m. and Saturday at noon and 2 p.m. in Cowley, taking the place of games originally scheduled to be played in Miles City.