Owlz Produce Huge Late Comeback, Win in Knockout Round

It was a great day for hitters in Windsor, CO on Saturday, as the Mustangs and the Owlz combined for ten home runs. The Mustangs got to an 11-2 lead late in the eighth, powered by homers from Connor Denning, Gabe Wurtz, and Luke Fennelly, plus two long balls by John Michael Faile. The Owlz would come back with seven runs in the bottom of the eighth and two in the ninth, including homers from Euro Diaz, Kevin Jimenez, Henry George, and two from Dave Matthews. Matthews later stepped up to the plate to win the Knockout Round for the Owlz, their first such win of the season. The series-deciding game will be the first around the PBL on Sunday, starting at 1:05 PM from Windsor. 

Rocky Mountain 13, Grand Junction 12: Vibes Need Two Knockout Rounds to Down Jackalopes 

A back-and-forth game in Grand Junction produced an instant classic on Saturday, in a game that had 26 hits, including 12 extra base hits, and two Knockout Rounds. The Vibes took an early 7-0 lead before the Jacks tied. A homer by David Martinez in the top of the seventh put the Vibes once again up front, but three runs in the bottom of the same inning gave the Jacks an 11-8 lead. A three-run triple by Ethan Lopez in the top eighth put the Vibes up four before Joe Johnson got his fourth hit of the day for the Jacks, a double that brought Matt Golda home to tie the game in the bottom ninth. The Jacks then had the bases loaded with one out, but a strikeout by Chris Macca and a nice play at first base by Casey Petersen ended the inning and the game a tie. In the first Knockout Round, Ron Washington Jr. was inches away from giving the Jacks another Knockout win, but a fly ball to left field fell just short. Dusty Stroup then hit a homer to left field, giving Rocky Mountain the win in the second Knockout Round. The Vibes have now won three in a row and will try for a sweep as visitors on Sunday at 2:05 PM. 

Glacier 9, Missoula 8: Range Riders Even Series in Another Close Game in Missoula 

After a thrilling contest on Friday, the Range Riders and the PaddleHeads produced another exciting game on Saturday with both teams now combining for 43 runs in the two games of this series so far. The Range Riders were up early after back-to-back home runs by Gabe Howell and Jackson Reaper in the top third. Missoula built a 5-2 lead on the fourth, but four runs in the seventh and a three-run homer by Crews Taylor in the eighth put the visitors back in the lead, just before McClain O'Connor also hit a three-run home run to cut the lead back to one. Thomas DeBonville managed to reach third base on the bottom ninth, but pitcher Justin Coleman was able to keep Missoula's bats quiet and make sure the Range Riders would even this series. The finale will be played on Sunday with a 2:05 PM start in Missoula, where kids 12 and under get in free. 

Great Falls 12, Boise 9: Voyagers Emerge Victorious from Slugfest 

Nine different pitchers took the mound on Saturday at Boise, but the visiting Voyagers had an edge. In a very even match, Great Falls was more efficient overall, with their pitchers combining for 15 strikeouts and their batters starting hot, scoring seven runs in the top of the third, including a Billy Hancock three-run home run. The Hawks quickly put themselves back in the game with four runs in the bottom of the same inning, before D.J. Poteet hit two long balls in the fourth and the eighth to give the Hawks a lead. The final comeback for Great Falls came in the top of the ninth, as four hits drove in five runners to produce the final score of a thrilling game. The finale for this tied series will be played on Sunday at 7:05 PM in Boise, with post-game fireworks.  

Ogden 8, Idaho Falls 2: Brock Gilliam Powers Raptors to Resume Winning Ways 

Ogden is having a great start to their Summer. Over the last week, the Raptors managed to get five wins in six games, outscoring their opponents 86-28, mostly due to outstanding pitching and superior batting. The Raptors opened in July on the same beat, with pitcher Brock Gilliam achieving his league-leading sixth win, a second for him in the week, after seven and a third innings of work where he allowed a single earned run and fanned seven in the process. On the other side of the ball, Damian Henderson and Nick Ultsch both got three hits each, including a homer for Ultsch. The play of the night, however, came from Rafael Narea, who hit a grand slam in the top fifth. After being swept in Ogden earlier in the week, the Chukars will try to take the home series on Sunday at 7:05 PM.