Chukars Pound Mustangs For Ninth Straight Win

Idaho Falls, ID - After three straight walk off wins, the Idaho Falls Chukars made sure on Sunday afternoon that the game was decided early. Thanks to a 19 hit performance, the Chukars plated a season high 18 runs, coasting to an 18-6 win over the Billings Mustangs. The win moved the Chukars to 9-0, giving them their third consecutive series sweep to start the season. Clay Dungan went 6 for 6, while Ismaldo Rodriguez hit a three run home run and drove in five.
Billings took the lead in the first inning, but it was short lived. Dungan started the line for the Chukars in the first with a double, and Jose Marquez followed with a single. Brady McConnell doubled home Dungan, and Rhett Aplin walked to load the bases. Two batters later Rodriguez doubled home a pair, with the fourth run of the inning scoring on a Montae Bradshaw ground out, making it 4-0.
The Mustangs got another run in the second, but the Chukars countered with a run in the bottom of the frame on a Marquez ground out. Billings scratched across a third run in the fourth, but in the bottom of the inning the Chukars put the game away. Eight batters came to the dish, with five scoring. The Chukars took a 10-3 lead and knocked Billings starter Justin McGregor (L, 0-1) out of the game.
Idaho Falls added on three in the sixth, one in the seventh, and four in the eighth. With the exception of one, every Chukars starter had at least one RBI. Stephen Ridings (W, 1-0) picked up the win, pitching the middle three innings. Derrick Adams (SV, 1) went the final three, earning the save while giving up just one unearned run.
In addition to Rodriguez's five RBI, Marquez & McConnell each had three RBI, while Dungan and Tyler James each added two. Dungan becomes the second player in as many seasons for Idaho Falls to have six hits in a game, with Kyle Kasser doing it last season.
The Chukars are off tomorrow, but begin a three game series in Great Falls on Tuesday. First pitch for the first game is at 7 PM, and you can listen to the game on 980 The Sports Zone KSPZ beginning at 6:45. The game is also available to stream on TuneIn.