Mustangs Score Seven in Eighth, Extend Win Streak to 10

For the first half of Thursday night's contest, it seemed as if Ogden was finally going to snap the Mustangs' winning streak. Ogden scored two unearned runs in the first inning, then scored six times in the third inning after the Mustangs tied the game. The Raptors tacked on two more runs in the fourth inning to take a commanding 10-2 lead. The Mustangs chipped away though, getting an RBI double from Luke Fennelly in the fifth, a pair of home runs by Brendan Ryan and Mitch Moralez in the sixth, and an RBI single from John Michael Faile in the seventh. In the eighth, Taylor Lomack drove in a run on a single, and an error allowed a second run to score on the play and cut the deficit to two. After back-to-back walks, Faile delivered a grand slam to give Billings their first lead of the night. For Faile, it was his 11th home run for the month of August. Billings tacked on another run in the inning on an error. Ogden got the tying run to the plate after Dane Tofteland's RBI double, but that was the closest they would get. Hunter Schilperoot struck out three in the ninth inning to lock down his seventh save of the season. Trevor Jackson, Keagan McGinnis, and Schilperoot combined to allow just one run on three hits in 5 1/3 innings of relief. The Mustangs have now won 10 games in a row and trail Missoula by just a game in the North Division second-half standings.

Great Falls 7, Missoula 5: Washington Slams Door Early, Voyagers Bullpen Holds Off PaddleHeads

The Voyagers scored early and often in their rubber match in Missoula, scoring all seven of their runs in the first three innings of the game. Xane Washington was a catalyst for the offense, leading off the game with a single and coming around to score on Collin Runge's RBI groundout. In the second, the Voyagers loaded the bases with two outs, and Washington drove everyone home with a grand slam, extending the lead to 5-0. After Missoula got on the board with a McClain O'Connor home run, Giovanni DiGiacomo extended the lead with a two-run single. The PaddleHeads got closer with a three-run fourth inning, getting run-scoring knocks from Jared Akins and Ryan Cash. Missoula mounted a threat in the eighth inning, loading the bases with none out, but the rally was short-circuited by a double play. The PaddleHeads got the first two men on in the ninth inning, but Andrew Garcia stranded the tying runs on base to secure the save. Missoula's second-half division lead has shrunk to just a game due to Billings' hot streak.

Glacier 12, Idaho Falls 7: Range Riders Recover from Rocky First, Take Series in Idaho Falls

The Range Riders and Chukars combined for nine runs in the first inning, with Glacier striking first on a Jackson Raper RBI single and a two-run double by Kingston Liniak. In the bottom half of the inning, the Chukars scored six times on an RBI single by Tyler Wyatt, two bases-loaded walks, a balk, Hunter Hudson's RBI groundout, and an RBI single by Brandon Bohning. Glacier responded by scoring two runs in each of the next three innings to take a 9-6 lead. After a scoreless fifth inning, Matt Clayton smacked a two-run double to extend the Glacier lead to five. Ben Fitzgerald padded the lead by hitting the lone homer of the night in the top of the ninth. Meanwhile, Jack White settled down on the mound, combining with John Natoli, Ryan Cloude, and Montana Quigley to allow just one run over the final 8 1/3 innings. Glacier still holds on to the playoff spot.

Grand Junction 13, Boise 3: Johnson, Chouinard Lead Jacks to Big Victory Over Hawks

The Jackalopes lineup stayed hot on Thursday night, thanks in large part to first baseman Joe Johnson and designated hitter Austin Chouinard. In the first inning, Chouinard opened the scoring with a two-run double, and Grand Junction tacked on another run with an RBI groundout by Ron Washington Jr. After Boise scored two in the bottom of the second, Chouinard and Jaylen Hubbard both hit solo home runs to bring the Jacks' lead back to three. The score remained the same until the top of the sixth inning, when Grand Junction loaded the bases and Johnson cracked a grand slam over the right-field fence, essentially blowing the doors off the game. Grand Junction added three more runs in the seventh inning on an RBI single by Johnson and a two-run knock by Hubbard. Johnson now sits just 14 total bases behind the PBL single-season record that Jayson Newman set in 2022, and Hubbard is nine RBIs back of the single-season mark Matt Feinstein set in 2021. Chouinard capped off his fantastic night with an RBI double in the ninth. On the mound, Adam Bloebaum allowed just one earned run and struck out four in six innings of work, and Keenan Bartlett got the last nine outs of the game to record the save. The Jackalopes are still 1.5 games back of Rocky Mountain in the South second-half standings.

Rocky Mountain 11, Northern Colorado 2: Every Starter Reaches Base as Vibes Even Up Series

The Vibes cracked the scoreboard in the top of the first inning on Thursday night and never relinquished their lead, as every player in their starting lineup reached base safely. Jake McMurray brought home the first run of the game with an RBI groundout, and the Vibes added two more runs in the fourth to extend their lead to three. In the sixth, Jacob Barfield added some distance to the lead with a three-run homer, the only ball to leave the yard on the night. After the Owlz broke up the shutout with two runs in their half of the sixth, the Vibes tacked on three more runs in the seventh, featuring a two-run single by Dusty Stroup. McMurray and Elvis Peralta added a couple more insurance runs in the eighth to extend the lead to nine. On the mound, Peyton Long held the Owlz to just two earned runs and three hits, striking out six in 5 1/3 innings, and Reed Butz, Sandi Charle, Tomas Reyes, and Luis Almonte combined to allow just one hit over the final 3 2/3 innings. The Vibes still hold a 1.5-game lead in the South Division second-half standings with eight games to play.