Twelve men left on base. That was the Helena Brewers’ major issue at Kindrick Legion Field Tuesday, as the home team lost to the Billings Mustangs, 7-5.

The Mustangs, who improved to 31-16 overall and lead the Northern Division with an 8-1 second-half record, were led by the pitching of starter Andrew Bowman, and the bats of Carlos Mendez and Byron Wiley.

The left-handed throwing Bowman posted the win, working five innings and giving up three hits and one run, while striking out six. Randall Linebaugh pitched the ninth frame to collect the save.

Wiley went 2-for-4, with a double and an RBI, and Mendez drove in two runs, stroking a single and a two-bagger. Jordan Wideman was 2-for-3.

The visitors outhit Helena 9-6 and left eight runners stranded, four fewer than the Capital City group.

The Brewers were down 7-1 after 7 1/2 innings, but showed some grit by rallying for three runs in the seventh stanza and one in the eighth to get within two.

Their big inning was the seventh, when Chris Dennis and Corey Kemp walked. With men on first and second and two out, Mike Vass put a charge into a 2-2 pitch, driving it well over the wall in left-center for a 3-run homer. The ball traveled an estimated 400 feet, bouncing off the scoreboard and eliciting a booming cheer from the crowd of 1,300. Vass finished the game with a pair of base knocks.

The Brew Crew’s two tallies in the first and the eighth frames were produced by John Delaney, Dennis, Brock Kjeldgaard, Jose Duran and Eric Miller.

The locals twice ended innings with the bases loaded, in the sixth and eighth frames.

Rico Salmon started on the bump and went 4.1 innings while being tabbed with the defeat. He was relieved by Nick Tyson and Garrett Sherrill.

The Brewers fell to 3-6 for the second half, and 23-24 overall. They next take to the road, facing the Orem Owlz in Utah on Thursday.

Reporter Curt Synness: 449-2150 or

curt52s@bresnan.net