CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES IS SET

With their wins last night, the Yolo High Wheelers and the Glacier Range Riders have advanced to the 2024 Pioneer League Championship beginning Tuesday night at Glacier Bank Park in Kalispel, MT..

This will be both expansion team's first appearance in the Pioneer League Championship, with this being Yolo's first year in the league and Glacier's third.

Glacier Range Riders vs. Missoula PaddleHeads

The Glacier Range Riders dominated this game from the outset, scoring nine unanswered runs across the first four innings. Range Riders left fielder Chad Castillo led the offense with an RBI double in the second inning and a two-run home run in the fourth.

At 9-0 in the eighth inning, the Range Riders would have another explosive inning, scoring three runs and pushing the score to 12-0.

The PaddleHeads finally responded in the eighth inning with a two-run home run from short stop Kamron Willman and then another solo shot in the bottom of the ninth from Alec Sanchez. However, the Range Riders tacked on five more insurance runs in the top of the ninth, ending the blowout with the final score of 17-3.

On the mound, Glacier's starting pitcher Cooper Benson went six innings, giving up no runs on just two hits and two walks, striking out six. For Missoula, PaddleHeads manager Michael Schlact utilized seven different pitchers throughout the game, with no pitcher going more than two innings and only two of them allowing no runs in their appearance.

Yolo High Wheelers vs. Oakland Ballers

The Yolo High Wheelers faced off against the Oakland Ballers in Oakland for the final game of this three-game series. In game one, Yolo blew out Oakland at home 14-4. Oakland responded on Thursday night with a 1-0 win in front of a raucous, sell-out home crowd.

Last night before an equally large crowd, Oakland was unable to maintain the momentum and fell to the Yolo High Wheelers 6-4.

Yolo scored early with a two-run home run by first baseman Jose Gonzalez in the first inning. Yolo would later tack on another run in the third on a double to left field by centerfielder Brayland Skinner.

Oakland responded in the bottom half of the third with a solo home run by catcher Tyler Lozano, bringing the score to 3-1. However, Yolo would continue to trade punches, responding with a David Glancy solo shot in the fourth.

In the bottom of the fifth Oakland came back with a two-run home run by second baseman Duante Stuart, bringing the game closer at 4-3 after the fifth.

But in the seventh, Yolo tacked on two more runs, one on a sacrifice fly from Bobby Lada and another on a single from Jose Gonzalez, increasing their lead to 6-3.

Oakland's center fielder Brett Carson hit back with a solo home run in the bottom half of the seventh, but Yolo's bullpen stiffened, not allowing a hit in the final two innings, sending their team to the championship.

Starting pitcher Ben Ferrer got the win for Yolo, pitching six innings and allowing three runs on four hits and striking out nine. For Oakland, starting pitcher Luke Short went 3.1 innings and allowed four runs on six hits, striking out three.

The Yolo High Wheelers will travel to Glacier to take on the Range Riders in game one of the Championship Series on Tuesday night. You can watch full coverage of the Pioneer League Championships at https://share.flosports.tv/SHbH