Tolbert, Henry lift Chukars to Pioneer title
After dropping the opening game of the Pioneer League Finals, Idaho Falls needed back-to-back road wins against an Ogden team that tied the league record with 54 regular-season victories.Thanks to some timely hitting by Tyler Tolbert and Isaiah Henry, the Chukars did just that. Tolbert collected three hits and scored three
After dropping the opening game of the Pioneer League Finals, Idaho Falls needed back-to-back road wins against an Ogden team that tied the league record with 54 regular-season victories.
Thanks to some timely hitting by
Tolbert collected three hits and scored three times, while Henry homered, doubled and scored twice as Idaho Falls slugged its way to a 10-8 victory over the Raptors on Sunday at Lindquist Field for its first Pioneer League championship since 2013.
The Chukars became the third Royals affiliate to win a title in the last three days, joining Lexington in the South Atlantic League and Wilmington in the Carolina League.
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"The guys were unbelievable," Chukars manager Omar Ramirez said. "I knew when we faced Ogden it was going to be tough. But we wanted it more than them."
Idaho Falls opened the third inning with four straight hits off Ogden starter
Idaho Falls added four runs in the fifth on two-run doubles by
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An error and a sacrifice fly brought in two more runs for the Chukars in the sixth, but Ogden climbed within 9-8 in the bottom of the frame as
Henry wasn't done. The 20-year-old outfielder clubbed a solo homer in the seventh off right-hander
"He's had a great playoff series," Ramirez said. "I know he struggled in the regular season, but in the playoffs he came through for us."
"Games like this aren't about talent, Ramirez said. "They're about heart and playing good baseball. My guys did that.
"Our guys showed so much heart throughout the year. Taking two games from Ogden, that says a lot about my guys. My guys weren't afraid of them."
Royals No. 20 prospect
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Katie Woo is a contributor to MiLB.com. Follow her on Twitter @katiejwoo.