Helena, MT - After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the Brewers appeared to be well on their way to a win on Thursday night over Idaho Falls. However, the Chukars tied it at six in the fifth, with the last four runs scoring being unearned. Helena retook the lead
Helena, MT - After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the Brewers appeared to be well on their way to a win on Thursday night over Idaho Falls. However, the Chukars tied it at six in the fifth, with the last four runs scoring being unearned. Helena retook the lead 7-6 in the eighth, but it all came apart in the ninth, as Idaho Falls put the first five on, scoring six in the inning to take a 12-7 lead they wouldn't relinquish. The Brewers are four games back of first place Great Falls with five games left in the first half.
Chukars starter Kris Bubic got the first two he faced in the first, but then the Brewers strung together a knockout rally. Chad McClanahan singled to center with two strikes, and then got to second on a fielding error from center fielder Tyler James. David Fry then followed with a wall banging double, scoring McClanahan. Nick Egnatuk then knocked a first pitch fastball into right for a hit, scoring Fry. LG Castillo then followed with an RBI triple, easily plating Egnatuk to make it 3-0 Brewers. Pablo Abreu then singled right up the middle, scoring Castillo to extend the lead to 4-0. Bryan Connell then reach on an infield single, ending the day for Bubic.
In the second, the Brewers added to their lead as Fry singled home two with two on and one out. However, Helena failed to capitalize further, as they left the bases loaded in the inning.
Brewers starter Blake Lillis was on cruise control through the first three innings, allowing just one base runner. The tide though started to change in the fourth, as Chase Vallot hit a two run homer with two outs. In the fifth, the Andres Martin his a routine double play ball with nobody out, but Jean Carmona botched the turn to first, resulting in one out on the play. Then Carmona booted a Kyle Kasser ground ball, starting a four run inning in which the Chukars tied the game. The big blow came courtesy of Reed Rohlman with two out, who doubled with the bases loaded, scoring three to tie the game at six. All four runs scored by the Chukars in the frame were unearned.
Neither team scored in the sixth and seventh, but Helena broke through in the eighth, as with two out and the bases loaded, Jaret Hellinger (W, 1-0) threw a wild pitch, scoring Carmona to make it 7-6 Helena.
The normally lights out Peter Strzelecki (L, 2-1) came in to start the ninth, and allowed a leadoff bloop single to left to Kasser. Left fielder Bryan Connell tried to bare hand the ball on the hop, and it skipped past him, allowing Kasser to reach second on the error. With the tying run in scoring position, Tyler James attempted to bunt, and initially appeared to foul back a high pitch. Home plate umpire Rene Gallegos ruled that there was no contact made, and the wild pitch advanced Kasser to third.
James then dribbled a ball just in front of the mound, and Strzelecki tossed to Carmona who was covering the bag. It was a bang bang play at first, but that was a moot point as Carmona dropped the ball, allowing Kasser to score to tie the game. Jesus Atencio then put a bunt down to advance James to second. Strzelecki fielded the bunt cleanly, but then slipped, not making a throw and putting the go ahead run in scoring position.
From there, the Chukars offense went to work, as a single from Nate Eaton gave Idaho Falls the lead, and Reed Rohlman singled to bring home an insurance run. Idaho Falls scored three more times in the inning, taking a safe 12-7 lead. Helena committed a season high five errors in the game, and also struck out a season high 14 times.
Helena looks to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow as Victor Castaneda takes the hill. Idaho Falls counters with Connor Mayes. First pitch is at 7:05 PM, and tomorrow is Star Wars Night. Join the force by visiting the ticketing page of helenabrewers.net.
