Faile Plays Hero Again, Mustangs Jump Back Into First Place with Knockout Round Win
With Missoula's loss, the Mustangs enter the final day of the regular season in first place in the North Division.
The Mustangs entered Friday in a bit of a slump, losing their last two games after their 15-game winning streak. In the second game of their series against Owlz, Billings struck first on an RBI single by Taylor Lomack, but the Owlz tied the game on Abdel Guadalupe's solo homer in the second. The Mustangs took the lead in the fourth inning on Mitch Moralez's RBI double, but the Owlz evened the game again, this time on a run-scoring double from Payton Robertson. Northern Colorado took the lead in the sixth inning when Dave Matthews drilled a solo home run over the left-field fence. The score stayed the same until the ninth inning, when reigning North Division Batter of the Month, John Michael Faile, smacked a pinch-hit home run to tie the game at three. On the mound, Trevor Jackson tossed his third inning of hitless relief in the bottom of the ninth, sending the game to a Knockout Round. Faile delivered for the team once again, emerging victorious over Dave Matthews in the Knockout Round. With Missoula's loss, the Mustangs enter the final day of the regular season in first place in the North Division.
Glacier 7, Missoula 2: Liniak Drives in Four, Range Riders Snap Skid
The Range Riders came into the second game of their series in Missoula on a four-game losing streak, and they played from behind early as Reece Yeargain put Missoula on top in the third inning with a solo home run. The Range Riders responded immediately with a pair of homers – a solo shot by Christian Kirtley to tie the game, and a two-run homer by the red-hot Kingston Liniak to give them the lead. Liniak came through again in the sixth inning, padding the lead with an RBI single. The PaddleHeads got a little closer in the sixth inning on Jakob Guenther's RBI knock, but the Range Riders added two more runs in the eighth inning, including Liniak driving home his fourth run of the night. On the hill. Patrick Miner tossed six solid innings, surrendering two runs and seven hits, walking none and striking out four. Ben Ferrer, Ryan Cloude, and Lyle Hibbitts each tossed a scoreless frame to close the game out. With Billings winning, Missoula falls to second place in the North Division, and the Range Riders fall back out of a playoff spot.
Rocky Mountain 12, Grand Junction 11: Vibes Score in Five Consecutive Innings, Bullpen Cools Off Jackalopes Lineup
The Jackalopes offense was strong in the early going on Friday, scoring three times in the second inning and rallying for six in the fourth inning to take a 9-1 lead. During that fourth inning, Joe Johnson scored his 116th run of the season on Ron Washington Jr.'s two-run single, tying Jakob Goldfarb's single-season record set in 2021. The Rocky Mountain offense began to chip away in the bottom of the fourth, getting a two-run single from Joe Encarnacion. Grand Junction got a run back on Matt Wong's RBI single in the fifth, but the Vibes came right back with three of their own. Alex Stinnett singled in a run in the top of the sixth, and the Vibes responded with three more runs to cut their deficit down to two. Christian Day was able to hold the Jackalopes offense in check over the next two innings, and Mark Herron Jr. tied the game with a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh. Encarnacion drove in Matt Hogan on a fielder's choice to give Rocky Mountain the lead, and Sandi Charle tossed a scoreless ninth inning to secure the save. The Vibes enter the final day of the season having won 19 of their 26 matchups against Grand Junction this season.
Ogden 11, Idaho Falls 7: Raptors Score Five in the Eighth to Down Chukars
The Raptors blasted out to a commanding lead on Friday, thanks in large part to home runs by Logan Williams, Reese Alexiades, and Jonathan Soto in the fourth inning. The Chukars got a solo homer from Stephen Cullen in the fifth inning, then tied the game with a four-run seventh inning, featuring a two-run double by Trevor Halsema and RBI singles by Brandon Bohning and Chris Monroe. The Ogden bats rallied in the eighth though, scoring five runs on RBI singles from Soto, Landen Barns, and Nick Utlsch, and a two-run double by Dakota Conners. The Chukars got a run in the eighth inning, but Dan Kubiuk tossed a scoreless ninth inning to close the game out.