Mustangs win three of four heading into state tournament

The Lovell Mustangs are heading into the American Legion Baseball Division II State Tournament this weekend on a bit of a roll, winning three of their final four regular season games.

After defeating the Casper Drillers 7-5 at the Bomber Mountain Dogfight in Sheridan on July 18, the Mustangs swept a doubleheader from the Riverton Raiders on Saturday, 8-3 and 7-6, then fell to the Cody Cubs in Cody on Monday evening, 15-10.

In game one Saturday, the Mustang bats heated up and broke a 0-0 tie in the bottom of the third inning, scoring five runs. Dallin Bischoff led off with a walk and scored on a single by Kannon Owens. Owens was caught stealing, but Mac Morgan drew a walk and scored on a triple by Cash Wassmer. Kyle Wilson was hit by a pitch, and Wassmer crossed the plate on a base hit by Rocco Rael.

Wilson and Rael moved up on a wild pitch, and Wilson scored on another errant pitch. Rael scored on a Dax Mangus single.

Lovell added two more in the fifth on RBI singles by Easton Morgan and Aaiden Walker. Riverton plated two in the sixth, but Lovell countered with a run in the bottom of the frame when Wassmer doubled and scored on a single by Rael. Riverton added a run in the top of the seventh to make the final score 8-3.

Lovell banged out 11 hits in the game, two each off the bats of Wassmer, Rael and Mangus. Rael drove in two runs, and Owens, Wassmer, Mangus, Easton Morgan and Walker had one RBI apiece.

Rael picked up the win as the starting pitcher, blanking the Raiders over four innings and allowing two hits and two walks while striking out eight. Kyle Wilson threw two innings, allowing two runs on two hits and two walks while fanning four. Dane Wilson threw the final frame, allowing one unearned run on no hits and two walks, fanning two.

Game two win

In the second game Saturday, the Mustangs scored four in the bottom of the fourth and held off the Raiders for a 7-6 win.

Wassmer hit a two-run single in the fourth to score Harper Morgan and Owens, and Kyle Wilson singled home Wassmer.

Riverton scored three in the top of the fourth, but Lovell plated a run in the bottom of the inning to lead 5-3 as Owens singled to score Bradley Mickelson, who had led off with a single.

The Raiders scored one in the top of the fifth to make it 5-4, but the Mustangs plated two in the bottom of the frame to lead 7-4 as Kyle Wilson singled home Mac Morgan and Wassmer scored on a ground out. Riverton scored two in the top of the sixth but could not tie the game or take the lead as Lovell prevailed 7-6.

Wassmer and Kyle Wilson had two hits and two RBIs each for the home team, and Owens and Mangus had one RBI apiece.

Owens got the start on the mound and blanked the Raiders over the first three innings, allowing three hits and walking one while striking out four. Bischoff pitched 1 1/3 innings, Mickelson 1 2/3 innings and Wassmer the final inning.

Cody

The Cody Cubs got to Lovell starter Mac Morgan for six runs in the top of the first inning and two in the second Monday. Lovell rallied for three in the third, but the home team plated five more in the fourth off Mickelson to lead 13-3.

The Mustangs battled back, scoring three in the fifth, two in the sixth and two in the seventh to cut the Cody lead to three at 13-10, but Cody scored two in the seventh and blanked the Mustangs over the final two frames of the scheduled nine-inning game.

Walker had three of Lovell’s 13 hits, Wassmer, Mickelson and Jaxen Baxendale two each. Baxendale hit two doubles, Walker and Wassmer one each. Wassmer drove in three runs, Baxendale two, Mac Morgan, Mickelson, Walker and Mangus one each.

State tournament

Now 17-26, the Mustangs will travel to the Wyoming Division II State Tournament in Green River this weekend, meeting the Wheatland Lobos at 1 p.m. today (Thursday) in the opening round. If the Mustangs win, they will meet the winner of the Jackson-Green River game Friday at 7 p.m. A loss to Wheatland would drop the Mustangs to a 1 p.m. game Friday against the Jackson-Green River loser.

Play continues through Monday, Aug. 3. Also in the tournament are Torrington, Riverton, Cody and the Cheyenne Eagles.