Chukars Use Knockout Round to Snag Victory in Second-Half Highway Series Opener
Tyler Wyatt needed just one home run to earn the victory, as the Chukars defeated the Hawks for only the second time this season.
In the seventh game of this year's Highway Series, the Chukars started out fast, using run-scoring singles from Sam Troyer, Trevor Halsema, and Eduardo Acosta to take a 4-0 in the first inning. In the fourth inning though, the Hawks took the lead after a key error opened the door for a five-run inning. Sean Skelly reached on the second error of the inning, Kole Kaler singled in a run, and Trevor Minder hit a bases-clearing double to put Boise on top. In the fifth, Idaho Falls got a little luck of their own, as Tyler Wyatt scampered home on a wild pitch to tie the score. Brandon Bohning singled home Acosta in the seventh inning to give the Chukars the lead, but Kaler immediately tied the game back up with an RBI double in the eighth. After a Trevor Halsema diving catch and a scoreless inning by Nate Alexander, the game was headed to a knockout round. Wyatt needed just one home run to earn the victory, as the Chukars defeated the Hawks for just the second time this season.
Rocky Mountain 18, Ogden 15: Offense Shines, Vibes Hold off Raptors
The Vibes continued their great second-half play by jumping on the Ogden pitching staff in the first inning on Tuesday night, thanks to a two-run single by Dusty Stroup and an RBI knock by Jake McMurray. The duo of Stroup and McMurray combined to go 8-for-9 on the night. In the second inning, Jacob Barfield cracked a three-run homer, giving the Vibes a 6-1 lead. Ogden cut their deficit to 6-3 in the fifth inning, but the Vibes answered with a six-run frame, capped off by a two-run homer off the bat of Stephen Wilmer. Rocky Mountain tacked on four more runs in the sixth, keyed by a two-run double from McMurray. The Ogden bats didn't go quietly though, thanks in large part to Nick Ultsch. The former PBL Draft pick hit a two-run homer in the seventh and added a two-run single during a six-run eighth inning to bring the score to 16-12. RBI doubles by Barfield and Wilmer gave the Vibes some extra breathing room, but the Raptors again refused to go away. Dane Tofteland hit a solo home run, Ultsch hit an RBI triple, and Reese Alexiades brought home Ultsch with an RBI single to cut the Vibes' lead to 18-15. Juan Teixeira singled to bring the tying run to the plate, but Gaylan Young induced a flyout from Logan Williams to end the slugfest.
Missoula 6, Great Falls 4: PaddleHeads Sail Past Voyagers with Late Rally
The two hottest teams in the North Division squared off on Tuesday night, and the Voyagers struck first on a Collin Runge sacrifice fly. After the PaddleHeads tied the game, Great Falls came back with two more runs on an Eddie McCabe RBI groundout and an RBI double by Gregory Ryan. Ryan Peltier added an RBI double after Missoula committed their third error of the night. Missoula didn't back down though, as an RBI double by Ryan Cash and a two-run double from Dondrei Hubbard evened the score in the bottom of the seventh. In the eighth, Cash singled in Jacob Kline to give Missoula their first lead of the night, and McClain O'Connor scored on an error on the play. On the mound, Dawson Day was charged with just one earned run in 6 2/3 innings, while Mark Timmins, Liu Fuenmayor, and Zach Penrod combined to retire the last seven Great Falls batters. The PaddleHeads have now won three games in a row and are tied for the second-half division lead at 9-4.
Grand Junction 8, Northern Colorado 5: Jackalopes Score Early and Often to Down Owlz
In a battle of intra-state rivals, the Owlz jumped on the board first thanks to a lead-off home run by Henry George. The Jackalopes answered immediately though, taking advantage of a Northern Colorado mistake to score four unearned runs. Northern Colorado scored an unearned run of their own in the second, but the Jacks responded again with two runs of their own. The Owlz picked up runs in the third and fifth innings, but Andrew Meggs' two-run double in the bottom of the eighth put the game to bed. The Owlz got the tying run to the plate in the ninth inning, but Calvin Marley retired Jackson Coutts on a grounder to end the game. Matt Golda collected three hits in the winning effort, and Trey Morrill struck out nine in six innings to earn the victory.
Billings 11, Glacier 6: Faile Goes Deep Twice to Lead Mustangs Past Range Riders
Coming into Tuesday night's action, John Michael Faile hadn't homered since July 14. Facing off against Glacier though, Faile homered to get the scoring started for Billings, and the Mustangs never looked back. Billings took a 2-1 lead in the second inning, then added three more runs in the fourth, featuring Taylor Lomack stealing home. After Glacier cut the lead down to 5-3, Billings scored a run in the sixth, and after a Benjamin Fitzgerald homer, the Mustangs scored twice to increase their lead to 8-4. The Mustangs scored three more times in the eighth inning, featuring a Gabe Wurtz RBI triple and Faile's second homer of the game.