The Pioneer Baseball League playoff field has been narrowed to two.

The Long Beach Coast and Billings Mustangs have earned their places in the PBL Championship Series. Long Beach defeated the Modesto Roadsters 2–1 in their three-game series, while Billings swept the Missoula PaddleHeads 2–0 to move on to the championship round.

The two teams now turn their attention toward the league championship, with the series scheduled to begin September 15 in Long Beach.

Long Beach Outlasts Modesto in Three-Game Battle

The Long Beach Coast survived a back-and-forth series against the Modesto Roadsters, taking the series 2–1 and punching their ticket to the championship round.

The Coast opened the series with a 4–1 loss to Modesto, as the Roadsters used a three-run fourth-inning home run from Bryce Cannon to take control. Devyn Hernandez delivered a strong start for Modesto, working 7⅓ innings and allowing just one earned run.

Long Beach answered in Game Two to even the series and force a deciding third game.

With their season on the line, the Coast came through in the finale, defeating the Roadsters 6–3 at Blair Field.

Long Beach took control early, scoring twice in the second inning. Jacob Jablonski delivered an RBI single to score Emilio Corona before Eddy Pelc drew a bases-loaded walk that brought home Jablonski.

Modesto responded with two runs in the third inning to tie the game. Max Handron drove in Logan Sutter with a single, and Leiker Figueroa followed with another RBI single to bring home Cole Fellows.

The tie did not last.

In the bottom of the fourth, Benjamin Rosengard delivered the biggest hit of the game, lining a two-run single to right field that scored David Whittle and Trevor Rogers and restored Long Beach’s lead.

The Coast added two more runs in the fifth. Cooper Vest launched a solo home run to right field, and Whittle followed with an RBI single that brought Rogers home to make it 6–2.

Modesto managed one final run in the seventh when Jacob Lojewski grounded out with the bases loaded, allowing Arxy Hernandez to score. But Long Beach’s pitching staff closed the door from there.

Jack Martin earned the victory after working four innings, allowing one run on five hits. Jake Dixon and Ryan Faulks each contributed a scoreless inning, and Zach Voelker finished the game with a scoreless ninth to earn the save.

The Coast collected nine hits in the deciding game, with David Whittle going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Benjamin Rosengard drove in two, while Vest, Jacob Jablonski and Pelc also contributed to the scoring.

With the 6–3 victory, Long Beach completed the comeback and won the series 2–1, ending Modesto’s postseason run and advancing to the Championship Series.

Billings Sweeps Missoula at Home

While Long Beach needed three games to eliminate Modesto, the Billings Mustangs needed only two to get past the Missoula PaddleHeads.

Billings hosted both games of the playoff series against Missoula at Dehler Park, and the Mustangs took full advantage of home-field advantage by sweeping the PaddleHeads 2–0.

After winning the opening game of the series, Billings returned to Dehler Park on September 11 with a chance to close out the series in front of its home crowd.

The Mustangs did just that, defeating the PaddleHeads 5–1 to complete the sweep and advance to the Championship Series.

Billings broke the game open with a four-run second inning.

Kyle Hvidsten started the scoring with an RBI triple that brought home Justin Johnson Jr. John McHenry followed with an RBI single to score Hvidsten, and Nin Burns II tripled down the right-field line to bring McHenry home.

The fourth run came when Jacob Gutierrez reached on a throwing error, allowing Burns to score.

Billings added another run in the fifth inning when Adam Cootway doubled home Cameron Bowen, giving the Mustangs a five-run cushion.

That proved to be more than enough for Julian Garcia.

Garcia delivered a dominant postseason performance, pitching seven shutout innings while allowing six hits and striking out six. He did not walk a batter and kept the PaddleHeads off the scoreboard throughout his outing.

True McEvoy worked a scoreless eighth before Lucas Hartman handled the ninth. Missoula finally got on the board when William Bermudez drew a bases-loaded walk to score Nich Klemp, but the PaddleHeads could not produce another rally.

Billings finished the game with 10 hits. Cameron Bowen and Nin Burns II each collected two hits, while Hvidsten and Burns both tripled. Cootway added a double and an RBI.

The Mustangs’ pitching staff held Missoula to eight hits and one run, completing the 5–1 victory and the 2–0 series sweep.

For Missoula, the loss brought an end to a season that saw the PaddleHeads produce one of the league’s most dangerous offenses. For Billings, the sweep meant another step toward the championship.

Championship Matchup Set

The semifinal results have established a championship matchup between two of the Pioneer Baseball League’s strongest clubs.

Long Beach Coast: 2–1 series victory over Modesto

Billings Mustangs: 2–0 series victory over Missoula

Now, the Coast and Mustangs will meet with the Pioneer Baseball League championship on the line.

Billings enters the championship series after sweeping Missoula in two games at Dehler Park, while Long Beach arrives after surviving a three-game battle with Modesto. The Mustangs will look to carry the momentum of their dominant semifinal pitching performance into the championship round, while the Coast will bring the confidence of winning a decisive Game Three at home.

The Pioneer Baseball League Championship Series begins September 15 in Long Beach, with the Coast and Mustangs set to battle for the 2026 PBL championship.