July 11, 2023
Game 44 Recap
Hawks hold off Mustangs comeback and win 7-6
In a closely contested game, the Boise Hawks managed to hold off a late rally by the Billings Mustangs to secure a 7-6 victory. The Hawks got off to a strong start, building an early lead and relying on their pitching and timely hitting to withstand the Mustangs' comeback attempt.
Boise wasted no time making an impact in the first inning. Sam Olsson's single to center field drove in Kenny Oyama, giving the Hawks an early 1-0 lead. Derek Maiben followed up with a single down the left-field line, bringing in D.J. Poteet and Kole Kaler to extend the lead to 3-0. Anthony Walters added a sacrifice fly, allowing Olsson to score and making it 4-0 in favor of Boise.
The Mustangs responded in the second inning, as West's single to center field brought in Lomack, reducing the deficit to 4-1. In the third inning, Boise's Maiben doubled down the left-field line, driving in Raymond Gil for an unearned run, increasing the Hawks' lead to 5-1.
Billings Mustangs added a run in the fifth inning when Wilber singled to right center, scoring Lomack and cutting the deficit to 5-2. However, Boise quickly answered back in the sixth inning. Alex Baeza's single to left field brought in two runs, with Trevor Minder and Tyler Jorgensen scoring unearned runs. This extended the Hawks' lead to 7-2.
The Mustangs mounted a late rally in the eighth inning. Lomack's single up the middle drove in Moralez and Denning, reducing the deficit to 7-4. Ajamian's single up the middle further closed the gap, bringing in Lomack and Edie to make it a one-run game at 7-6.
However, the Hawks' bullpen managed to hold off the Mustangs in the final inning. Drew Marrufo came in for the save, pitching 1.1 innings and striking out three batters, preserving the slim lead and securing the victory for Boise.
Matthew Sox started on the mound for the Hawks, delivering a solid performance by pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs on six hits while striking out five batters. Luke Malone and Noah McBride provided relief but gave up a combined four runs (three unearned) in the eighth inning. However, Marrufo's strong outing in the ninth saved the game for the Hawks.
With this win, the Boise Hawks improved their record to 25-19, while the Billings Mustangs' record dropped to 18-26.