The Long Beach Coast’s inaugural season at Bohl Diamond at Blair Field ended Tuesday night with a 12-2 loss to the Billings Mustangs in Game 1 of the Pioneer League championship series.
Mustangs break tie late, rout Coast
Through six innings the championship opener was tied 1-1. Long Beach took the early lead in the second when Emilio Corona hit a solo home run. The Mustangs answered in the third and, after a stalemate middle portion of the game, seized control in the seventh.
Billings’ Adam Cootway hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to snap the 1-1 tie and then followed with a grand slam later in the inning as the Mustangs erupted for a seven-run frame. The visiting club tacked on additional runs in the eighth and ninth to finish a 12-2 victory as the Coast saw their season-ending home finale turn into a lopsided defeat.
Pitching and offense: contrasting approaches
The Mustangs rode a complete-game outing from right-hander Cole Calnon, who worked the full nine innings while allowing nine hits and two runs. Calnon threw 134 pitches in the outing and earned the win as Billings’ pitching held the Coast largely in check after the second inning.
Long Beach opened with right-hander Matthew O’Brien on the mound. O’Brien worked three innings and left the game with the score tied after yielding a home run as his only hit through that stretch. Marco DiGirolamo followed with two scoreless innings, but the Coast were forced to use multiple arms over the final three innings as Billings collected 11 hits and 11 runs during the late offensive surge.
"It was awesome to get the start. The fans were great and everyone showed out. It obviously wasn’t the game that we wanted, but it’s alright. We just need to come back and show up for Game 2,"
The comment came from O’Brien after the game, reflecting the Coast’s bullpen approach that the team has relied on since injuries affected its rotation earlier in the season.
What’s next: two games in Billings
With the series shifting to Dehler Park in Billings, Montana, the Coast face an uphill climb. Billings now leads the best-of-three series 1-0 and can clinch the Pioneer League title with a win in Game 2 on Friday. If Long Beach wins Friday, a decisive Game 3 would be played Saturday in Billings.
The Coast must win both remaining games on the road to capture the championship. Billings, a franchise with a history of success in the Pioneer League, now holds home-field advantage for the remainder of the series.
| Game | Location | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Bohl Diamond at Blair Field, Long Beach | Billings 12, Long Beach 2 |
| Game 2 | Dehler Park, Billings | Friday (series 1-0 Billings) |
- Key offensive moment: Emilio Corona’s second-inning leadoff homer for Long Beach.
- Turning point: Adam Cootway’s seventh-inning homer followed by a grand slam that opened a multi-run outburst.
- Pitching note: Cole Calnon completed the game for Billings, throwing 134 pitches.
For Long Beach fans, the loss marked the final home appearance of the Coast’s first season and leaves the club needing consecutive road victories to take the Pioneer League crown. The team’s reliance on a bullpen-by-committee after starter injuries has been a season-long theme; whether that approach will suffice in the hostile environment of Dehler Park will be decided in the next two games.
Attendance and in-game atmosphere reflected strong local support, as Blair Field hosted the Coast for their last game of the season. The organization and its players face a brief turnaround before traveling to Montana for Friday’s matchup.
Coverage of Games 2 and 3 will determine whether the Coast can complete a late series comeback or the Mustangs will add another Pioneer League title to their history.
