Chukars Outduel Jackalopes in First Game, Bats Come Alive in Nightcap for Sweep

Despite trailing in the North Division standings, the Idaho Falls Chukars swept the doubleheader in convincing fashion against the Grand Junction Jackalopes. The matinee matchup featured an all-out pitching duel, headed by Frank Racioppo of Grand Junction and Armando Valle of Idaho Falls. Valle would obtain the win with five strikeouts on three hits and one earned run, and the Chukar pitching combined for 11 strikeouts on the very productive night. Racioppo recorded four strikeouts of his own but was not able to stay on Valle and company's pace, allowing Cordell Dunn to drive in two on a double and Zach May to hit a solo shot over the fence. Those two hits were enough for Idaho Falls to take game one of the doubleheader 3-1. 

In the second game, the bats came to life on both ends. Dunn drove in three with a homer in a four-run first, but the Jackalopes quickly responded with an efficient seven-run second inning headed by Jaylen Hubbard and Joe Johnson, both of whom drove in a pair. Despite Jacob Cruce driving in another run to go up 8-4, the Jackalopes would not outlast, as Dunn's bat let the sparks fly once again in the fourth, doubling in Mark Herron and Sam Troyer. Following two more doubles from Chris Monroe and Trevor Halsema, Jordan Myrow homered in a couple on the first hit of his professional career. Brian Williams secured the 12-8, come-from-behind victory with a scoreless seventh inning. 

Range Riders Continue Winnings Ways, Shut Down Mustangs 

The Glacier Range Riders picked up their third straight win in a 5-2 win against the Billings Mustangs, remaining undefeated in Kalispell in their home opening series. Like the Chukars a state west, this game was won from the mound. Glacier starter Noah Barros allowed six hits and recorded three strikeouts in a successful outing, stranding the Mustangs on the bags throughout the game. Joseph Kinsky and Justin Coleman continued the domination, with Coleman striking out every batter he faced in his inning of work. Nathan Thomas' outing was only stained by Connor Denning's solo shot in the top of the ninth for the Mustangs. On the offensive end, Crews Taylor led the way in runs batted in with a pair on a single into right field in the fourth to give the Range Riders a four-run cushion to ride the rest of the way.   

Missoula Blows Out the Vibes, Newman-Dodd and Chung Star in Offensive Onslaught 

The bats of Missoula showed no mercy as the PaddleHeads made short work of the Vibes, scoring 17 runs in their second straight game. A decent start for the Vibes was shut down in a five-run fourth inning for Missoula, but Rocky Mountain clawed back to get within two. However, the seventh inning opened the floodgates for seven straight runs and an additional four in the eighth, putting the game all but out of reach. Reigning MVP Jayson Newman-Dodd drove in five runs on two hits, a two-run shot over the fence in the fourth and a double that drove in Keaton Greenwalt and Jakob Guenther, as well as reaching base on an error that brought Kevin Elefante to the plate. Elefante also recorded his first professional hits, two singles that each got a teammate home. On the mound for Missoula, Izzy Fuentes recorded five strikeouts in a solid start, and relievers Karl Blum and John LaRossa each shined with three batters faced, and three batters punched out. Missoula has won three of four and sits just under the Range Riders in the North Division. 

Ogden and Boise Trade Wins in Idaho, Hitters Prevail in Doubleheader 

In a late-start doubleheader, two teams with significant momentum met in a clash of the bats. The Boise Hawks and the Ogden Raptors each walked away from Memorial Stadium with a win in their pocket. Game one resulted in the first shutout of the season, with Boise blanking the Raptors 6-0. Matt Voelker pitched the lights out in all seven innings, only allowing three hits and walking four. Each run for Boise was batted in by a different player, spreading the wealth among the best bats in the park.  

The second contest of the night went Ogden's way, with Ogden's bats finally coming to life on the backs of three home runs. Juan Teixeira, Nick Ultsch and Reese Alexiades each homered for the Raptors, and Ultsch batted in four runs on the night, leading the team to a 9-7 victory. Anthony Walters batted in three for the Hawks in the second contest, including a two-run home run, spiking his RBI total to four in the 14 total innings. Brock Gilliam missed plenty of bats in his start for game two, striking out 10 and allowing only two hits with four walks in five innings pitched. Boise stays atop the South division, only dropping two of their first eight games.