Voyagers top Osprey

MISSOULA — No one seems to want that final playoff spot.

The Great Falls Voyagers and Billings Mustangs just keep handing it back to one another.

The Voyagers, behind a 7-5 win over the Missoula Osprey on Tuesday night, regained the lead for the final spot in the North Division’s race for the playoffs.

The Voyagers (32-35 overall, 15-16) are now ahead of the Mustangs (32-37, 15-17) in the overall standings, which, if the Missoula Osprey continue to lead the standings, would put Great Falls in the playoffs. It will be determined by overall record.

Before games were played Tuesday, the Osprey of Missoula led the second-half race by two games over Billings and two-and-a-half over Great Falls. They now lead the Voyagers by just a game-and-a-half.

The Voyagers and Mustangs — with the Helena Brewers in the background — are the two teams battling for that final spot and have flip-flopped positions several times in recent weeks.

The Mustangs lost to the Helena Brewers 6-3 on Tuesday night.

The Voyagers walked into Ogren Park Allegiance Field on Tuesday with a record of 2-8 in their last 10 games, including a seven-game losing streak in late August. After Tuesday’s game, Cole Armstrong’s club has only seven games remaining in the regular season, including a pivotal two-game road series with Billings to close it out.

As for the game, designated hitter Landon Lassiter opened the scoring on Tuesday night when his double on a fly ball to right field in the top of the first scored Dante Flores and Johan Cruz to give the Voyagers a quick 2-0 advantage.

The lead extended to five in the top of the third. Flores led off with a single. Two batters later, Antonio Rodriguez homered to right. Next batter, for the first time this season, the Voyagers registered back-to-back HRs as Lassiter touched them all with a blast to left.

Voyager starter Evin Einhardt pitched three-and-two-third innings. The 6-foot-3 righty allowed six hits, but surrendered just a single run while fanning four.

Reliever Tanner Mendonca came in with the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth. He struck out two batters and forced a groundout as the Voyagers escaped trouble.

Lassiter added his fourth RBI of the night in the seventh. Great Falls’ third HR of the game came in the top of eighth when Jackson Glines went yard. Ryan Hinchley earned the win and Danny Dopico notched the save.

Great Falls and Missoula continue their four-game series Wednesday night at 7.