Voyagers Clinch Series, Take Solo Lead of Second-Half North Standings
Coming from a win after two knockout rounds on Friday, Great Falls managed to dominate the Hawks on Saturday, including a commanding performance by pitcher Greg Blackman
Coming from a win after two knockout rounds on Friday, Great Falls managed to dominate the Hawks on Saturday, including a commanding performance by pitcher Greg Blackman, who ceded only two hits and no earned runs in five innings, also fanning three. Reliever Kelsey Ward also had a solid game, shutting Boise for one and two thirds while managing four strikeouts, before Breonn Pooler recorded his first save of the season for the visitors. Jaylyn Williams had a four-hit day for the Voyagers, including a homer, while Charley Hesse and Xane Washington each managed three hits in the game. Alex Baeza was the highlight of the day for the Hawks, driving a homer to right field in the bottom eighth. The series finale will be played on Sunday from Boise starting at 1:05 PM, where the Boise Papas Fritas will take on the Voyagers as Kids 12 and under get in free and fans may bring their dogs to Bark in the Park.
Grand Junction 3, Idaho Falls 14: Chukars' Collective Power Overwhelms Jackalopes
Idaho Falls had a strong game from both sides of the bat on Saturday, getting a much-needed win against the Jackalopes. Every single batter in the Chukars lineup got at least one hit, while starter Dylan Gotto accomplished his first win of the season after a strong performance of seven innings with one earned run and three strikeouts. Trevor Halsema was a single short of hitting for the cycle, Michael Kohn had four hits in the game and both Bryce Brown and Tyler Wyatt, who hit a homer, each had three hits throughout the day. Joe Johnson homered for the Jacks, as PBL leader in RBIs Jaylen Hubbard managed another one to reach 69 in the season. The Chukars will try to even the series on Sunday at home, beginning at 2 PM.
Ogden 9, Missoula 7: Raptors Fight Back, Extend Lead Over Boise in South Standings
After dropping the first three games of the week in Missoula, the Raptors have now managed to get back two in a row and position themselves to tie the series on Sunday. Saturday's game was an instant classic, including lead changes and a close race to the win after both teams combined for 27 hits. Missoula took an early lead in the bottom first, scoring four runs before Ogden managed to build a comeback and take the lead by the top sixth. The Raptors maintained a run lead by the top eighth, when Nick Ultsch, Juan Teixeira and PBL home run leader Reese Alexiades each hit a homer, putting the game out of reach.
Rocky Mountain 10, Northern Colorado 6: Vibes Score Seven in First Inning to Take Series Lead Over In-State Rivals
Northern Colorado and Rocky Mountain have produced an intense series this week, and Saturday's game was no different for this interstate rivalry that is kicking off the second half of the PBL season. The Vibes took a commanding lead from the beginning, causing Owlz starter Brandon Kaminer lots of problems and scoring seven runs in the first inning, mostly through singles. By the bottom fourth, the Vibes had a 10-2 lead, which the Owlz struggled to cut into the deficit as the game progressed. The Vibes now have taken a 3-2 lead in this series, which concludes on Sunday at 1:05 PM from Colorado Springs.
Billings 13, Glacier 9: Mustangs Overcome Three Homers from Range Riders, Take Series Lead
Glacier and Billings have also fought a competitive series over the week, with the Mustangs now taking the 3-2 lead into the finale on Sunday. Saturday's game kept the same pace, with the teams combining for 22 runs in 26 hits. The visitors started in front, but the Mustangs bats came alive in the bottom of the fourth to produce a six-inning run, including a two-run homer by Gabe Wurtz. While Billings kept racking up runs, Glacier managed to keep itself within reach, helped by home runs from Kingston Liniak and two homers from Dean Miller, who had a three-hit, three-RBI game. Tyler Statler closed the game out, managing two key strikeouts. Sunday's game will start at 1:05 PM from Billings to close the week for the teams.
