Raptors Lose Lead Late, Then Pile On For Big Victory
For six innings, the Ogden Raptors appeared to be cruising to victory Friday night.After the Missoula Osprey tied the game in the seventh, however, the Raptors bats woke up and turned a tight game into a blowout.The 11-4 victory put the Raptors two games up with 10 to go in
For six innings, the Ogden Raptors appeared to be cruising to victory Friday night.
After the Missoula Osprey tied the game in the seventh, however, the Raptors bats woke up and turned a tight game into a blowout.
The 11-4 victory put the Raptors two games up with 10 to go in the first half, as the Idaho Falls Chukars fell by one to the Helena Brewers.
Ogden, a day after collecting only one hit after the first inning, put up three runs in the first and another in the second.
It was a 4-0 lead after the second, as
The lead held as Ogden's pitching staff shut down the Osprey offense that had scored 11 runs the day before.
Sampen set down the next nine and handed the game to
Bruihl encountered trouble in the seventh, walking the leadoff hitter and allowing a single before recording a strikeout. He then had an 0-2 count on the eighth-place hitter but gave up a single to load the bases.
The next batter hit a line drive to right field, and it looked sure to drop in. But Roller, playing his third outfield position in the last three days, came up with his third diving catch in as many days to keep Missoula from scoring.
Shortly after, however, a four-pitch walk put the visitors on the board. A single to center scored two and knocked Bruihl out.
The tie wouldn't last long. With two down and the bases empty in the home half of the seventh, Dillon Paulson turned on the second pitch he saw and launched it over the right field fence for a 5-4 lead.
After Drury made quick work of the Osprey in the top of the eighth, the Raptors came up looking for insurance. They got plenty.
Outman opened with a tapper up the third base line for an infield hit before Roller drove a fly ball down the right field line. It landed in fair territory with about a foot to spare, putting runners on second and third. With one out, Arocho singled through the drawn-in infield to score both.
An Amaya single and Robinson walk loaded the bases, and Vargas grounded toward first base. The ball was dropped by the first baseman and then thrown away, allowing the two lead runners to score. Cogen followed with a rope to right field to plate Robinson and Vargas and cap the scoring.
Drury ended up overpowering the Osprey in the ninth, striking out the last two hitters, to finish the game. He earned the victory, his first win as a professional.
The 11-4 final score was the third of its kind in the four-game series, as the Raptors took the first and the Osprey the third game by that exact score. In fact, in all four games the winning team scored exactly 11 - Ogden also won the second game by an 11-0 score.
The Raptors remain home and welcome the Helena Brewers for the last time in the regular season for a three-game series beginning Saturday night at 7:00.