Ogden holds a two-game lead in the Pioneer League South Division and next heads to Grand Junction to play eight games from June 21-26.

The Raptors and Rockies will play the regularly scheduled six games, plus make up two where Ogden will play as the home team in rescheduled games that were originally rained out May 29-30 in Ogden. The two teams will play seven-inning doubleheaders on Wednesday and Saturday.

RAPTORS 12, CHUKARS 10

Dustyn Macaluso has played somewhat sparingly in the Frontier League and American Association over the last two seasons. This year, he played in Quebec for the Frontier League’s Trois-Rivieres Aigles (Three Rivers Eagles), hitting .130 in 16 games before his release one week ago.

Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors

Sunday at Lindquist Field was a different story.

Macaluso, usually an outfielder, made his debut for the Ogden Raptors, played third base and batted in the No. 9 spot. And with his team rallying in the bottom of the ninth inning, he came up at the bottom of the order.

Macaluso cracked a three-run, walk-off home run to finish the comeback and the Raptors topped Idaho Falls Chukars in a 12-10 victory to close the series.

Macaluso hit 2 for 4 with five RBIs, also hitting a two-run double in the second inning. Reese Alexiades began that inning with a solo homer to put Ogden up 3-0 early. That ties Alexiades for the team lead in home runs with Jesus Valdez at six apiece.

Christian Day pitched five strong innings in his start for the Raptors, giving up one run on four hits while striking out four. But he walked the first two hitters of the sixth inning and the snowball of runs that Idaho Falls is capable of rolling began. (Those runners scored, giving Day three runs to his ledger.)

Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors

Miguel Cirino, Riley Ottesen and Evan Parker couldn’t slow the mounting Chukars rally on yet another windy, blustery day in Ogden.

Idaho Falls scored four in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, though Cirino and Ottesen danced around several bases-loaded at-bats that could have turned into an all-out barrage.

In the bottom of the sixth, Ogden second baseman Dakota Conners tripled in Pat Adams to tie it 5-5. But Hunter Hisky homered for the visitors in the seventh and Feinstein homered off Parker in the eighth to make it 10-6, which seemed to ready the Chukars for a 4-2 series win.

But a role-reversing ninth inning instead got Ogden a 3-3 split.

Ogden’s Jorge Gonzalez kinked the firehose and, though he gave up a two-out double, struck out two and faced just four batters in the top of the ninth to keep it 10-6.

Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors

In the bottom of the ninth, Idaho Falls pitchers Jonathan Nunnally and Keagan McGinnis did not record an out.

Freddy Achecar, Alexiades, Valdez and Jackson Lancaster all singled against Nunnally, with Sonny Ulliana drawing a walk. The singles from Valdez and Lancaster each scored a run to make it 10-8.

McGinnis faced only Macaluso and uncorked a wild pitch with the bases loaded to make it 10-9 and ultimately rob Macaluso of a grand slam. But then came Macaluso’s swing to win the game in front of what was left of a reported Father’s Day crowd of 3,530.

Alexiades hit 2 for 3 and scored three runs. Valdez continued his tear, hitting 2 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs, raising his average to .434 and on-base percentage to .520. Lancaster also had two hits.

RAPTORS 12, CHUKARS 2

Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors

OGDEN — Jesus Valdez had a busy Saturday at Lindquist Field.

After hitting a grand slam Friday, Valdez returned Saturday to sock two more homers and was part of four of the five double plays Ogden’s infield completed on the way to a 12-2 win over Idaho Falls.

Valdez put Ogden ahead for good in the bottom of the second inning, lining a screaming solo home run over the left-field wall for a 2-1 lead.

The Raptors wouldn’t need much more with Ronny Orta on the hill. Orta moved to 4-0 in his fifth start, lowering his ERA to 4.18 by allowing two runs and seven hits across six full innings of work, striking out four and walking two.

Idaho Falls ultimately rapped 11 hits. Those only led to two runs because shortstop Valdez and second baseman Dakota Conners cleaned up five of them by turning double plays up the middle off the bats of five different Chukars hitters.

Valdez started the first double play in the bottom of the first to hold the score at 1-1. In the third inning, Conners took one unassisted at second base before throwing to first. The double plays in the fourth, seventh and eighth innings went Conners to Valdez to Freddy Achecar.

In the bottom of the third, designated hitter Chuck Steele scored on a Pat Adams single and error from the right-fielder, then Adams later scored in a double steal with Conners in which Conners was thrown out to make it 4-1.

Idaho Falls outfielder Steve Barmakian doubled in Jose Reyes with two outs in the fifth for the final mark on Orta’s ledger, and the Chukars’ final run of the game, for a 4-2 score.

Jake Mulholland pitched a scoreless seventh for Ogden and Miguel Cirino a scoreless eighth. Recently signed two-way player Jackson Lancaster closed the ninth by giving up a single but striking out the side.

With a 5-2 lead and a runner on base, Valdez struck again in the fifth inning. After a green-light wild swing through a high 3-0 pitch, Valdez crushed the ensuing 3-1 offering well over the wall in centerfield to make it 7-2.

Adams and Josh Broughton each hit RBI singles in the sixth to make it 9-2. Idaho Falls relief pitcher Damon Ellis struggled in the eighth by walking three, throwing a wild pitch, hitting Valdez and giving up an RBI single to Achecar for the final 12-2 score.

Valdez hit 3 for 4.  Adams also hit 3 for 4, and Conners, Broughton, Achecar and Steele each totaled two hits.

WEEKEND SCORES

Ogden 12, Idaho Falls 2

Ogden 12, Idaho Falls 10

Northern Colorado 6, Grand Junction 4

Northern Colorado 6, Grand Junction 5

Boise 13, Rocky Mountain 3

Boise 10, Rocky Mountain 2

Glacier 7, Missoula 4

Missoula 5, Glacier 3

Billings 15, Great Falls 11

Billings 26, Great Falls 3

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS

Through June 19

NORTH DIVISION

Idaho Falls 16-7

Great Falls 15-9

Missoula 14-9

Billings 11-10

Glacier 10-13

SOUTH DIVISION

Ogden 13-9

Northern Colorado 11-11

Grand Junction 10-12

Boise 9-14

Rocky Mountain 4-19