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Ogden Raptors take rollercoaster, 14-13 victory to open series at Idaho Falls

By Brett Hein, Standard-Examiner - | Jul 14, 2021

It was a night of almost obscene rallies, missed calls and 27 runs over 4 hours Wednesday night in Idaho Falls — a Pioneer League classic, in other words.

The Ogden Raptors rallied after coughing up a huge lead, then survived a wild ninth inning to win 14-13 over the Chukars, ending Idaho Falls’ seven-game win streak and putting IF a game behind in the North Division first-half race while the Raptors have already secured the South first-half title.

Jakob Goldfarb led off the game with a solo homer on the first pitch, his league-leading 14th dinger and sixth to lead off a game for the Raptors (29-17). A first-inning rally ended with Josh Broughton tripling in two runs for a 6-0 lead.

The Chukars immediately cut that to 6-3 in the first before Ogden starter Anthony Donatella retired eight straight.

But in the fourth, Idaho Falls (32-14) led off with four consecutive singles to spur a five-run inning and take an 8-6 lead to knock Donatella out of the game.

Against Chris Campbell in the fifth, the Chukars extended that to 10-6 with a pair of RBI singles.

The Raptors answered with five runs in the sixth, capped when David Maberry roped a bases-loaded, three-RBI triple to center field for an 11-10 lead.

Thomas DeBonville chopped an RBI single over first base in the bottom of the sixth to tie it 11-11.

Ogden used the next three innings to build insurance it would need.

In the seventh, Jack Johnson hit a sacrifice fly to score Kyle Kaufman. In the eighth, Owen Taylor hit a solo homer to dead center on a full count with two outs. In the ninth, Chuck Steele hit an infield single to give him a 4-for-4 night, took two bases on a wild pitch, then scored on another wild pitch for a 14-11 lead.

Big Raptors pitcher John Timmins walked two and struck out one to start the bottom of the ninth. Idaho Falls pinch hitter Hunter Hisky then hit a drive to deep center, where Golfarb dove on the warning track to make the catch.

After Hisky coasted into second, umpires ruled it a non-catch and called him safe at second, perhaps because Goldfarb appeared to bobble the ball well after he stood up with it in his glove and went to make a throw. Despite vehement protesting from Goldfarb and manager Dean Stiles, Hisky remained on second. That hit drove in a run, making it 14-12.

An RBI groundout made it 14-13 and moved Hisky’s pinch runner, Sam Little, to third base. Timmins then got Webb Little, the league’s leader in RBIs, to foul out on the third-base side on the first pitch, and the Raptors somehow took the wild win.

Kaufman had three hits and Maberry led Ogden with three hits and three RBIs, pushing his league-leading average to .492. Maberry was also hit by a pitch. He has 16 walks and 16 HBPs this season, and leads the league with an on-base percentage of .588.

The two teams finish the series Thursday and Friday to end the half, then travel to Ogden for three games Saturday through Monday to open the second half.

WEDNESDAY SCORES

Ogden 14, Idaho Falls 13

Missoula 12, Billings 2

Grand Junction 4, Rocky Mountain 2

Boise 17, Great Falls 7

UPDATED STANDINGS

2 games left in the 1st half

NORTH

Missoula 33-13

Idaho Falls 32-14

Great Falls 18-28

Billings 18-28

SOUTH

Ogden 29-17

Grand Junction 25-20

Boise 19-27

Rocky Mountain 9-36

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