Missoula Fires Back, Keeps Lead at Top of PBL Standings

In a repeat of the 2022 season, Missoula and Ogden are battling for the top overall record in the first half of the PBL season. Ogden had won the two first games in the series on Thursday and Friday, and a sweep of Missoula would be a big step. On the other hand, the PaddleHeads were looking for a win that would keep them ahead and well-positioned to clinch the best record of the first half. The Raptors took the lead first on a two-run homer by Juan Teixeira, who produced three of Ogden's four hits. Missoula slowly but surely scored their runs, including a homer by Patrick Chung to take the lead in the sixth and two runs scored after wild pitches. Missoula's pitchers combined for an impressive 17 strikeouts, including eight from starter Zach Penrod, while the visitors fanned seven, bringing the game total to 24. Sal Gozzo drew a walk with the bases loaded in the top of the eighth to bring the Raptors within one, but two strikeouts by Mark Simon in the top of the ninth assured Missoula's 4-3 win. Ogden took the series win but will leave Montana four games behind the PaddleHeads with a week to go in the first half. Ogden now goes back to Utah and hosts the Vibes beginning on Monday, while Missoula will travel to Great Falls. 

Rocky Mountain 21, Grand Junction 5: 14-Run Inning Blasts Vibes Over Jackalopes 

One of the ways to keep oneself always improving is to always do one better. Rocky Mountain scored 12 runs over Grand Junction on Thursday and 13 on Friday but it took the Vibes just the bottom of the fourth to put 14 on the scoreboard on Saturday. Perhaps even more impressively, they scored on eight different hits, seven of those singles plus a double. Steve Barmakian had hit a three-run home run that traveled 427 feet in the third, and Ethan Lopez had a perfect day going 5-for-5, with two singles. Ron Washington Jr. homered later in the game for the Jacks, but the Vibes were already way out of reach and the bullpen worked well to keep the Jacks scoreless in four and a third innings. The win completed a home series sweep and moved Rocky Mountain two games over the Jacks in the South Division standings. The Vibes now travel to Ogden to face the Raptors, while the Jackalopes return home to host the Owlz. 

Glacier 13, Billings 2: Range Riders Sweep Mustangs in Billings 

For the second time this season, Glacier has swept Billings. The visiting Range Riders struck first, as Jackson Raper homered to left field. Connor Denning hit his third homer of the week in the bottom third, keeping the Mustangs in the game, but any hopes for a comeback slowly faded away as the Range Riders started to dominate on both sides of the ball. Jonathan Clark's solid performance earned him his first professional win, the bullpen helped keep the Mustangs hitless after the third inning and the bats woke up in the fifth inning to start adding up the runs. A three-run home run by Gabe Howell in the top ninth, his third long ball in this series, was the icing on the cake for the Range Riders. Now, Billings travels to Boise to take on the Hawks on a six-game series of interdivisional play, and Glacier goes back to Kalispell as Idaho Falls comes to town. 

Northern Colorado 5, Boise 1: Strong Pitching Effort by Owlz Keeps Hawks at Bay 

A strong performance on the mound for Northern Colorado helped the Owlz take a game in this series and avoid being swept at home. Will Buraconak posted six hitless innings with just as many strikeouts, as Boise's only run in the game came from a defensive error by the Owlz that allowed Tyler Jorgensen to reach home in the top of the sixth. In the late innings, the Owlz's pitching staff gave only two hits away while striking out four more, including two from Cory Wills, who achieved his fifth save of the season, tying the lead for most saves in the South Division so far. The Owlz were able to score their five runs on just six hits, with five different players each bringing a batter in.  The Hawks will now return to Boise, hosting Billings from Monday, as Northern Colorado stays in-state to play their regional rival Jackalopes in Grand Junction. 

Great Falls 16, Idaho Falls 11: Voyagers Take Series Against Chukars 

Idaho Falls went into Saturday's game looking to return the home sweep they had taken from the Voyagers earlier in the week, but the visiting bats from Great Falls came alive to produce a weeklong six-game series win. The Voyagers struck first, with a homer by Anthony Herron Jr. and a triple by Xane Washington, and that duo combined for seven hits in the game, helping build an 11-4 lead by the top sixth. The Chukars then got four runs back in the bottom sixth and three more to tie the game in the bottom eighth, including the first career homer for Stephen Cullen, who brought four runners home in the game. The Voyagers managed to break the deadlock at the top of the ninth, scoring five runs to get the win. Both teams now travel to Montana for their next series in the upcoming week, as Great Falls will host state rival Missoula, while Idaho Falls will play in Kalispell against Glacier.