The Salt Lake Trappers spotted Billings a 5-0 lead early in the game and could never make up the difference as the Mustangs prevailed 7-5 Friday night.
Billings tallied two runs in the first inning and three in the second, taking advantage of two Trapper errors to build the big lead. Salt Lake was hurt by four errors on the night.The Trappers chipped away to pull within a run. Kerry Shaw and Tommy Boyce drove in runs in the third and Kevin Ohama's hit in the fourth cut the Billings lead to 5-3.
The Mustangs moved their lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the fourth when Ben Colvard smashed a pitch off the center field wall, scoring Tim Clark. But in the fifth Boyce's triple scored a run to whittle Billings' lead to two runs. Then Kelly Zane's groundout in the sixth cut the Mustang lead to 6-5.
Billings put up an insurance run in the eighth, thanks to two consecutive errors by the Trappers. Mike Sorgini singled off relief pitcher Lee Carballo's glove with two outs to drive in the seventh run.
Salt Lake threatened in the top of the ninth. Kerry Shaw led off with a double to left-center off reliever Steve Foster. But Foster bore down to strike out Boyce, Mando Verdugo and Greg Ehmig in order to end the uprising.
Salt Lake continues its seven-game road swing tonight by meeting the Mustangs at 7:30 p.m.