Livingston Morris Plays Hero as Range Riders Win First Ever Home Game in the Knockout Round
Kalispell, MT. – The Glacier Range Riders (8-11) sent the fans home happy Wednesday night from Flathead Field as they stormed back from a 5-0 deficit against the Billings Mustangs (8-9) to tie the game on a two-run homer by Livingston Morris in the bottom of the ninth, before eventually winning the contest on a Knockout Round walk-off home run by Morris to call it a night. The final score goes down as 7-7 between the two sides, but Glacier gets the win via the Knockout Round.
It was not a happy start for the Range Rider faithful as error helped lead to a run in the first, and the Mustang bats continued to be hot in the second, scoring four runs in the frame to make it 5-0.
Eventually, it was the bottom of the fourth when things started to click for the Glacier offense on rally that started with a Gabe Howell single. Morris followed that up with double to get himself and Howell into scoring position before Sam Linscott brought them both home on a single. Morris would barrel through the catcher to score the run, as the Billings catcher was called for blocking the plate. The next play would see Austin McNicholas bring home Linscott on a single for his first professional RBI to make it 5-3.
The hosts finally caught up with the Mustangs in the bottom of the sixth when Ryan Cash came through with a clutch two-run single that scored Morris and McNicholas to even the game at five. That tie didn't last for long, though, with Billings hitting a solo home run on the first at-bat of the seventh, and grabbing another run in the inning, as well, to make it 7-5.
Fast forward to the bottom of the ninth, where the Riders needed two runs to get across to lengthen the contest and force the first ever Knockout Round in franchise history. Howell led off the inning with a solid line drive base-hit up the middle, before Brody Wofford got him to second base on a groundout. It was then that Morris stepped up and decided he didn't want to send the fans home just yet. The recent arrival from Georgia Gwinnett lasered a dart over the high wall in right-center field to equalize the game with just one powerful swing of the bat.
Nine innings ended at 7-7, which means the hometown fans were treated to their first ever showing of the PBL Knockout Round, a home-run shootout of sorts where a batter from each team gets five swings to hit as many home runs as they can. Both Jalen Garcia from Billings, and Dean Miller from Glacier weren't able to go yard in the first round, and after the Mustangs Crews Taylor couldn't top the fence in his time up in round two, Morris stepped into the batter's box knowing all he needed was one. After powering one that died at the track, Morris thwacked a no-doubter that sent the dugout and the crowd into a frenzy.
Morris was 3-5 with three runs scored, as well as two RBIs, and, obviously, the Knockout Round victory. Howell was 2-5 with two runs scored, while Cash had a 3-4 day with those two RBIs. The pitching crew of starter Rob Hamby, Tanner Solomon, John Beuckelaere, and Austin Steinfort all got themselves out of some tough jams in their outing to keep the game within reach. Steinfort and Beuckelaere each had shutout appearances.
The Range Riders and Mustangs close out their series tomorrow with a rubber match to win the first three-game tilt at Flathead Field. First pitch is at 7:05 PM. You can still get your tickets at: https://ridgerunbaseball.ticketsocket.com/#/event-list