Voyagers Steal a Victory From League-Leading PaddleHeads with Six-Run Eighth
Eddie McCabe and Coipel each had RBI singles to cut the lead down, and Jaylyn Williams’ bases-clearing double gave the Voyagers a 7-6 lead. Charley Hesse’s RBI single added an insurance run, which they needed, and the final score was 8-7.
Missoula controlled most of this game and started scoring in the third with three runs, highlighted by a Ryan Cash RBI double and Thomas DeBonville RBI single. Christian Coipel's RBI single got the scoring going for Great Falls, but Jared Akins had a two-run double in the sixth to extend the lead. Going into the bottom of the eighth, the PaddleHeads were up 6-2, but the Voyagers weren't done yet. Eddie McCabe and Coipel each had RBI singles to cut the lead down, and Jaylyn Williams' bases-clearing double gave the Voyagers a 7-6 lead. Charley Hesse's RBI single added an insurance run, which they needed, and the final score was 8-7. Connor Schultz pitched well for Missoula, only giving up two runs and three hits in six innings, while the Voyagers' pitching became stable in the later innings. This series continues Friday night.
Ogden 3, Rocky Mountain 2: Raptors Earn 30th Win With Victory Over Vibes in Pitching Battle
Coming into Thursday night's game, the Raptors had 29 wins and an opportunity to clinch the win in the extended series with the Vibes. However, it was Rocky Mountain that scored first off of an Elvis Peralta solo home run in the second. The Raptors came back and took the lead in the fourth with an RBI groundout and an RBI double from Nick Ultsch to make the score 2-1. This score would remain all the way until the top of the eighth where Casey Peterson's RBI groundout tied the game. Pinch Runner Riley Ottesen scored off of a wild pitch to give the Raptors a 3-2 lead, which was the final score. Pitchers on both sides impressed in this game. Raptors starter Mitchell Stone gave up five hits and only one earned run to go along with eight strikeouts in 7.1 innings. Vibes starter Christian Day lasted seven innings as well, giving up seven hits and three earned runs while striking out two.
Glacier 8, Idaho Falls 6: Glacier Moves Within Three Games of Division Lead After Win Over Idaho Falls
The Glacier Range Riders are the hottest team in the league, they entered Thursday night's matchup looking for their seventh win a row. Idaho Falls scored first with a Stephen Cullen RBI single, but Glacier came right back to take the lead with a two-run double from Kingston Liniak. The Range Riders didn't want to give their opponents a chance, scoring four in the third off of a three-run homer from Christian Kirtley and a solo shot from Ben McConnell. However, Idaho Falls wouldn't make it easy, tying the game with a five-run fourth. Hunter Hudson had a two-RBI double and Michael Kohn hit a two-run home run to contribute to the effort in the fourth. However, Idaho Falls was shut down from there and wouldn't score again, while Glacier took the lead in the fifth with a Mason Dinesen RBI single and another McConnell solo home run in the eighth. The Glacier relief pitching was impressive, not giving up a run and only giving up two hits in the last 5.2 innings of the game. Suddenly, Missoula's North Division lead is not so insurmountable.
Northern Colorado 10, Grand Junction 7: Owlz Cling Onto 1.5 Game Lead in South Division Over Jackalopes With Win
Seven combined runs in the first got this game off to a quick start. Danny Perez had a sac fly and Tim Bouchard had a two-run double to take a 3-0 lead in the top of the first for the Owlz. Grand Junction came right back with a four-run bottom of the first, highlighted by RBI doubles from Jaylen Hubbard and Matt Wong, while Ron Washington Jr. had a two-RBI single to take a 4-3 lead. Once again, the other team responded, with the Owlz putting up three in the top of the second led by a Henry George two-run homer. Both teams went back and forth throughout the rest of the game, but the Owlz never relinquished the lead, winning 10-7. Perez led the Owlz with three RBIs while George and Bouchard each had two. Washington Jr. and Colin Gordon each had two for Grand Junction. Both teams continue their close division battle on Friday night.
Boise 10, Billings 6: Boise Claims Their Third Win in Inter-Division Matchup With Billings
After Billings claimed their first win of the series Wednesday night, Boise came in ready to turn the tables, scoring two in the first off of D.J. Poteet's RBI double and Sam Olsson's RBI single. Billings built up base runners and scored one in the second and two in the third to take the lead. Boise took the lead back in the fourth, but a Taylor Lomack RBI single in the top of the fifth tied the game at four, but this score wouldn't remain for long. The Hawks batted around and put up six in the bottom of the fifth. Alex Baeza, Anthony Walters, and Kenny Oyama all had RBI singles, while a couple of crucial mistakes from the Billings pitching put the Hawks up 10-4. The Mustangs scored two in the ninth, but the Hawks took the victory. Five Mustangs had multi-hit games, led by Mitch Moralez with three. Kenny Oyama had a big day for Boise with four hits and two RBI in the win. These teams meet again Friday night.