Missoula and Billings Trade Strong Pitching Outings in Doubleheader Split

After the postponement of Wednesday's game and a brief rain delay, the Mustangs got off to a quick start on Thursday, taking a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Connor Denning produced his fourth RBI in the third inning to extend the lead to 3-0 and Jared Fry reached on an error to make it 4-0. The Mustangs were led by their pitching as Jalen Evans pitched five shutout innings while only giving up three hits and striking out three. Hunter Schilperoort didn't allow a run in the sixth and Cam Tullar earned the save to clinch the Mustangs' second win of the season. The second game of the doubleheader began soon after.  

2022 Home Run King Jayson Newman-Dodd started the scoring off for the PaddleHeads with a two run home run in the first inning of the second game, followed by a two-run second inning for Missoula to make the score 4-0. That was all Missoula needed as starting pitcher Alfredo Villa pitched the first complete game of the 2023 season to shut down the Mustangs in his Paddlheads debut. Villa struck out a league leading nine batters and only gave up one hit, a solo home run by Connor Denning, in a dominant outing. 

Hawks Celebrate Throwback Thursday With Win Over Chukars in Slugfest  

The Hawks debuted their 1990's inspired uniforms that they will be wearing during every Thursday night game throughout the 2023 season. After a quiet first inning, the Boise offense exploded for nine runs in the second and never relinquished the lead. Tyler Jorgenson and D.J. Poteet led the Boise offense with two hits and three RBIs each, while Kole Kaler and Alex Baeza each had two RBIs for the Hawks. Sam Troyer led the game with four RBIs and Cordell Dunn collected three hits for Idaho Falls, but it wasn't enough to stop the Hawks from taking the series lead.  

Voyagers' Big Fourth Inning the Difference in Victory Over Range Riders 

Thursday night's series tie-breaking game saw Glacier get off to a perfect start as Gabe Howell singled and Crews Taylor hit a double to score him in the first two at bats of the game. The Range Riders held onto a 2-1 lead until Great Falls broke through for four runs in the fourth, highlighted by Ryan McCarthy's RBI single and Christopher de Guzman's two-RBI double. The Voyagers maintained control of the contest going forward as Great Falls starter Collin Runge held strong after giving up two earned runs in the first two innings to earn the win. The Voyagers had 12 hits with four players having multi-hit games, led by Cal Bocchino who had three hits in four plate appearances.  

Raptors Win Third Straight Off Multi-hit Performances from Barns, Phelts 

The Raptors looked to continue their hot start to the season on Thursday night and struck first in the third inning against the Jackalopes. Landen Barns and Nick Ultsch, who both tried out for the Pioneer League in April and made Ogden's opening day roster, contributed to the winning effort. Barns hit a two-run double with the bases loaded in his first at bat as a member of the Raptors while Nick Ultsch added a solo home run in the sixth. Cameron Phelts had a double and a triple earning him two RBIs, and Rafael Narea added an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Raptors starter Ronny Orta threw three shutout innings and Adam Scoggins earned the save, fending off a late push from Grand Junction to keep the winning streak alive. 

Rocky Mountain and Northern Colorado Game Postponed after Vibes' Hot Start 

Poor weather cut Thursday night's game between the Vibes and the Owls short as they only played half of the first inning, but that's all Rocky Mountain needed to take a five run lead. Dusty Stroup continued to build upon his 2022 campaign where he hit 108 RBIs with an RBI double good for his fourth and fifth RBIs of the season. Joe Encarnacion also added two RBIs off a single to left field and Jacob Barfield earned an RBI after getting hit by a pitch. The game will resume on Friday night.