Ogden Raptors blow lead to finish suspended game, claim nightcap in final at-bat
OGDEN — The Ogden Raptors surrendered a lead gained by scoring seven straight runs by giving up eight straight runs to the visiting Rocky Mountain Vibes, losing 12-9 in the completion of a game Thursday evening that was suspended Wednesday night due to lightning.
Ogden took a 5-4 lead through three innings Wednesday night on a three-run double from Brian Dansereau, after which the game was suspended.
The Raptors quickly made it 9-4 in Thursday’s resumption. Sonny Ulliana led off the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer and, two batters later, Josh Broughton hit an inside-the-park home run. He drove one to right-center and it caromed off the point of Raptor Ridge and into centerfield, allowing him to motor all the way around.
With the bases loaded, Ogden added two more when a Dansereau grounder was dropped at first base by Ulysses Cantu.
But Cantu made up for it, hitting a solo homer in the fifth and a three-run dinger in the sixth, both against Ogden reliever Jorge Gonzalez, to tie the game 9-9.
The Raptors loaded the bases with one out in the bottom of the sixth but Dansereau and Logan Williams each struck out to leave the opportunity empty.
Working in his second inning of relief, Brandon McCabe surrendered the deciding runs to the Vibes in the ninth inning, with a pair of leadoff singles leading to an RBI groundout and a two-run single for the final score.
RAPTORS 8, VIBES 6
The Raptors nearly suffered the same fate in the seven-inning nightcap before Brian Dansereau delivered a two-out, two-run, bases-loaded single in the bottom of the sixth to lift Ogden (40-29, 11-10) to an 8-6 win over the Vibes (26-40, 9-12) in front of 5,278 fans, the second-largest crowd at Lindquist Field this season.
Matt Warkentin skied a two-run homer to the deepest part of the park in slight left-center to put Ogden up 3-2 through three innings. The Raptors made it 6-2 with a Dakota Conners RBI single, a Jesus Valdez bases-loaded walk and Conners scoring on a wild pitch in the fourth.
Sidney Duprey’s solid start got spoiled in the top of the sixth. He gave up two hits to open the frame and was pulled for Wilmer Torres. Both of Duprey’s runners came home to make it 6-4, then Torres surrendered a two-run homer to make it 6-6.
Ogden had runners on first and third with zero outs, and loaded the bases with one out, but appeared ready to leave the bases loaded to end an inning for the second time in the shortened game before Dansereau’s game-winner.
Ace closer Jackson Lancaster struck out the side in the seventh for Ogden.
The two teams continue the series at 7 p.m. Friday.
THURSDAY SCORES
Rocky Mountain 12, Ogden 9 (resumed from Wed)
Ogden 8, Rocky Mountain 6
Northern Colorado 12, Grand Junction 6
Missoula 21, Boise 10
Great Falls 6, Glacier 4
Idaho Falls 7, Billings 5
PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS
Second Half
NORTH DIVISION
Idaho Falls 13-7 (41-27 overall)
*Missoula 13-8 (48-20)
Great Falls 13-8 (40-28)
Billings 9-12 (34-33)
Glacier 7-14 (24-44)
SOUTH DIVISION
Grand Junction 15-6 (41-28)
*Ogden 11-10 (40-29)
Rocky Mountain 9-11 (25-41)
Northern Colorado 9-11 (26-39)
Boise 4-16 (21-47)
*- denotes first-half champion