Luca Panerati entered Sunday's matinee with Missoula looking to correct a few inconsistencies and, perhaps more importantly, put an end to the Mustangs' losing streak.

Panerati did both in style, pitching Billings to an 8-7 victory at Dehler Park.

The native of Grossetto, Italy, threw five strong innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits while striking out two and walking only one.

And despite a wild rally by the Osprey in the ninth inning, the Mustangs left the field winners for the first time in five games and also snapped a seven-game losing streak at Dehler.

"I'd been having a rough time because my mechanics weren't that good," said Panerati, now 1-1. "I've been working on that. My changeup is my best pitch but it hasn't been working in the last two outings. But today it worked great."

At that point of his post-game interview, Panerati was doused across the face with a handful of shaving cream by fellow starter Shea Snowden, who'd thrown a great game for the Mustangs a day earlier.

Snowden's prank was proof that the Mustangs were energized by the victory. Panerati, who pitched for Italy in the World Baseball Classic in March, spoke to that.

Once the laughter died and he was able to towel off, of course.

"It's a great injection of adrenaline when you get a win, especially after you come off a bad outing," said Panerati, who entered the game with a 0-1 record and a 9.00 ERA. "To get a win right now means a lot. It means a lot for the team, too."

No matter what the Mustangs did well on Sunday, nothing came easy.

Trailing by five runs in the ninth, Missoula got a two-run double by David Nick and a towering two-run homer from David Narodowski against Mustangs reliever Daniel Corcino.

All of the sudden Missoula was down a run and in position to deal the Mustangs a devastating blow.

But that's when Julio Garcia, last year's Pioneer League manager of the year, called on reliever Adian Kummett, who eventually got Bobby Stone to ground out to end the game.

"It's a situation where it all boils down to how you're playing," Garcia said. "We haven't been playing that good, and Missoula's got a good-hitting ball club. All they needed was a little spark."

Billings built its lead early.

The Mustangs batted all the way through their lineup in the second inning, posting five runs to take a 7-2 to lead.

Yen-Wen Kuo and Humberto Sosa, the team's hottest hitters, delivered two-out RBI singles in that frame. The Mustangs also benefited from some wildness by Missoula starter Miguel Pena (0-2), who was lifted with two outs in the second.

Billings got what turned out to be a much-needed insurance run in the sixth inning on another RBI single by Kuo, who finished 3-for-5 with two runs and three RBIs.

The one-run victory was the Mustangs' first of the season. They'd been on the losing end of four one-run games to that point.

"There were a lot of things that went in our favor and we were able to execute, which is something we'd been lacking," Garcia said. "They say when you lose one-run games it's a lack of execution one way or another. It was good to see we were able to get some clutch hits."

After an off-day today, the Mustangs will begin a seven-game road trip Tuesday in Orem, Utah.

NOTES: Frank Pfister was the lone Mustang to not reach base. … Keon Broxton tripled and homered for Missoula, which is now tied for the league lead with 16 round trippers. … Donnie Joseph threw two innings of scoreless relief for Billings … Missoula reliever Michael Belfiore pitched the eighth inning. Belfiore, from Boston College, was the Arizona Diamondbacks' supplemental first-round draft choice in June. He threw 129 pitches of relief in BC's 25-inning loss to Texas in this year's NCAA tournament.