Voyagers Emerge Victorious from Back-and-Forth Battle in Billings

One of the most exciting games of the PBL season took place in Billings on Saturday, where the visiting Voyagers ultimately emerged victorious after a contest that saw five lead changes. Great Falls first got the lead by the top third, where Gregory Ryan Jr. hit a homer to tie the game and jumpstart the Voyagers' offense. Later in the inning, John Michael Faile brought three runners in with a long ball. Connor Denning and Mitch Moralez also homered for the Mustangs, but the seven runs scored by the Voyagers between the seventh and eighth innings proved to be enough to give the visitors the win and take the series lead. The Voyagers will attempt to make it a series win this week against the Mustangs at 1:05 PM in Billings. 

Missoula 6, Boise 3: PaddleHeads Extend Winning Streak to Eight 

Another strong win for the PaddleHeads on Saturday, as an efficient outing on both sides of the ball saw the home team comfortably manage the visiting Hawks. Keaton Greenwalt homered in the bottom third to give the hosts a 3-0 lead, which was cut to a single run following a Derek Maiben double in the following half inning. The PaddleHeads proceeded to slowly add runs to build their win, while the pitching squad would keep Boise at bay. Mark Simon got his tenth save for the home team in the season, the third-best mark in the PBL. Missoula now leads the North Division Second-Half Standings by seven games. Missoula also hosted a Hawaiian Fundraising Night on Saturday, raising almost $15,000 for families affected by the Maui fires. The PaddleHeads will try to go for a six-game series sweep of the Hawks and extend their winning streak on Sunday at 2:05 PM from Missoula, where kids 12 and under get in free and it is National Bacon Day, as every food item in the ballpark will be paired with bacon. 

Northern Colorado 20, Ogden 5: Owlz Score 20 Runs on 20 Hits to Crush Raptors 

Northern Colorado put on an impressive offensive display on Saturday, scoring 20 runs on 20 hits against Ogden. The visitors started their routing from the top of the first, getting six runs in the inning, a feat that would be repeated in the top sixth. Every batter recorded at least one hit for the Owlz, with Henry George and Abdel Guadalupe each getting four hits and Euro Diaz bringing five runners in during the course of the game. Payton Robertson added a two-run homer for the visitors. The highlight for Ogden was once again designated hitter Nick Ultsch, who had a three-hit game, his second in the last three contests. The Owlz will now try for a second series win this week against the Raptors starting at 2:00 PM on Sunday from Ogden, where kids 14 and under may play catch on the field before the game and run the bases after the game ends.  

Rocky Mountain 9, Grand Junction 2: Vibes Seeking Series Win Against Jackalopes 

After losing two of three earlier in the week at Grand Junction, the Vibes won on Saturday to take a 3-2 series lead. It was a strong day in the mound for Rocky Mountain pitchers, as Zach Ottinger kept the Jacks scoreless until the top seventh, ceding only six hits and no earned runs. Jackson Cunningham and Chris Macca finished the job, shutting out the visitors for the last couple of innings. On the other side of the ball, the Vibes were able to open an early advantage by the bottom third, going 4-0 up after an Ethan Lopez homer, who had three hits in the game. Rocky Mountain now leads the South Division in the Second-Half standings by three games above Northern Colorado. The Vibes will attempt to sweep the Jackalopes in the home portion of the series on Sunday at 1:05 PM in Colorado Springs.  

Idaho Falls 11, Glacier 5: Wyatt Homers Twice to Power Chukars over Range Riders 

Following a stellar display that featured a long ball and five RBIs on Friday, Tyler Wyatt homered twice on Saturday to help the Chukars beat their division rivals and distance themselves from Glacier in the North Division Second Half standings. Eduardo Acosta and Michael Kohn were also hot on the plate for the home team, as each got three hits on the day. For the Range Riders, Christian Kirtley and Dean Miller homered in consecutive innings to cut the Chukars lead to a run after being down 6-0, but the comeback was cut short by a solid pitching finish by Robbie Brown and Bryant Bagshaw, while the Chukars managed to rack five more runs up in the scoreboard to get the win and the 3-2 lead in this week-long series, with a decider coming up at 2:00 PM on Sunday from Idaho Falls.