Paz Blasts Raptors to Extra-Inning Comeback Win

Entrenched in a heated battle with the Pioneer League South's last-place team, the division-leading Ogden Raptors fell behind going into the ninth but tied the score to send the game to extra innings. With two out in the tenth, Ogden put together a rally capped by Luis Paz's 13^th home run of the season to pull out a 9-6 win over the host Idaho Falls Chukars. Seven of Ogden's nine runs in the game came with two out
The victory, Ogden's third against no losses in extra innings in 2017, allowed the Raptors to gain a game on the Grand Junction Rockies. The Rockies entered the night in second place, one game back, but fell to the Orem Owlz to put Ogden up by two over both teams.
The Raptors began Saturday's game with Brayan Morales taking a walk and stealing second, but they couldn't put him across the plate for a lead. Idaho Falls scored with two out in the first for their first lead in the series that started Wednesday.
With two out in the top of the second, Garrett Hope swung and missed for strike three but sprinted toward first as the ball hit the dirt. Chukars catcher Freddy Fermin's throw was in time but kicked off the top of the glove of first baseman Robby Rinn to allow Hope to reach base. The ball continued to roll into right field, past outfielder Travis Jones, and Hope advanced into scoring position as two errors were charged. Samuel Ortiz capitalized with a line drive to center to tie the game.
After a double play in the Ogden half of the fourth, the bottom of the order put together another rally. Hope drew a walk and motored to third on an Ortiz double. Connor Heady single to left and Hope scored easily. Ortiz was sent home as well, and he hit the plate after the throw was dropped by Fermin.
Donovan Casey opened the fifth with a double into the right field corner before advancing to third base on a wild pitch and scoring on a Mitchell Hansen single to give Ogden a 4-1 lead.
Raptors starter Gregorio Sequera had pitched well for four innings, but Idaho Falls rallied in the fifth. They scored twice with two out and would have plated more had Casey not thrown a runner out at the plate who was trying to tag and score on a line drive to right field. After a two-out Paz single scored Ortiz in the sixth, the Chukars used a single and double to score and knock Sequera out of the game. Christian Stolo entered and allowed a sac fly on the first pitch he threw to tie the game at 5-apiece.
The hosts went ahead in the bottom of the seventh on the first home run of the season by Matt Morales, giving them a 6-5 lead to the top of the ninth.
Casey led off the final frame of regulation with his second hit, a single to left. A bouncing ball off the bat of Hansen evaded the glove of Rinn at first to put Casey, the potential tying run, at third with no one out for Rylan Bannon. Bannon lifted a drive to deep right field for a sacrifice fly to bring home Casey.
Two Raptors grounded out to open the 10^th, but Heady lined his third hit of the game to left. Morales then hit a liner that fell just in front of Jones, bringing up Paz. The Raptors catcher launched a homer over the right field fence, measured at 406 feet, to give Ogden a lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Raptors will go for a sweep of the four-game series Saturday night at 7:15 before heading home to host Idaho Falls for three games starting Sunday.