Flathead Faithful Weather the Storm to Show Out on Opening Day

Kalispell, MT. – A little weather didn't deter the first ever home fans from making it out to the ballpark to see the first ever game in Flathead Field. Despite rain all day and a gametime temperature of 45 degrees, the Glacier Range Riders (7-11) and Billings Mustangs (8-8) got in six innings of fun baseball before the decision was made to call the contest due to the weather with a 9-4 victory belonging to the Mustangs.

The game marks a tremendous milestone in the story of the Glacier Range Riders, opening a brand-new state-of-the-art stadium less than 10 months after announcing the team and breaking ground on the site. Fans poured into the stadium as soon as gates opened, met our mascots Cliff and Huck, and enjoyed all the sights and sounds of professional baseball in the Flathead Valley.

Billings got off to a fast start in the top of the first with a two-run homer to go up early. Montana native Jalen Garcia was a huge factor behind the offense for Billings, including going 3-4 with six RBIs in the contest.

Eventually, the offense came around for the home team, as Livingston Morris got the first ever Range Rider hit at Flathead Field, and later scored on a base-hit Sam Linscott, the first home RBI at Flathead Field. In the bottom of the sixth, an error by Billings scored both Linscott and Morris, before Austin McNicholas scored his first professional run on an RBI groundout from Ryan Cash.

After the sixth inning, a decision was made to put the game in a rain-delay for 30 minutes to see if the rain would let up. After there was no change in the weather, the game was called as final with a 9-4 decision.

The Mustangs and the Range Riders are back at it again tomorrow with another 7:05 PM first pitch at Flathead Field! We look forward to seeing more passionate fans out at the ballpark! Tickets at https://ridgerunbaseball.ticketsocket.com/#/event-list