OGDEN — If a person can eat clutch for breakfast, Reese Alexiades must have Tuesday morning.

The Ogden Raptors centerfielder roped three, two-out singles with a runner on third base. After his team led for seven innings, the last one came in the ninth inning to forge a 3-3 tie and keep Ogden alive, at least enough to try their hands again at a Knockout Round.

Then Brian Dansereau finished the job, crushing a double to the gap in left-center, allowing Alexiades to score from first as the Raptors streamed out of the dugout to celebrate a 4-3, walk-off win in the series opener against the Boise Hawks at Lindquist Field.

First pitch got me so here's the trail end.

Facing a Knockout with few great Knockout options, Brian Dansereau follows by ripping a double into the left-center gap

Alexiades scores from 1st

Ogden walks it off 4-3 pic.twitter.com/7FxuAjzOo5

— StandardEx Raptors (@RaptorsSE) July 27, 2022

The first Alexiades two-out single came in the first inning. Pat Adams walked, stole second, and took third on a wild pitch before Alexiades poked a full-count single through the left side for a 1-0 lead.

The second came in the fifth after Josh Broughton led off with an infield hit and took second on a throwing error, then moved to third on a groundout. With two outs, Alexiades pushed one through the right side to score Broughton for a 2-0 advantage.

Ogden starter Ronny Orta departed with a 2-1 lead, allowing only three hits through six innings but surrendering a solo homer to Boise first baseman Jacob Cruce in the sixth.

Freddy Rojas Jr. tied it 2-2 in the seventh off Raptors reliever Jake Mulholland with a screaming solo liner over the fence in left field.

Boise took the lead in the top of the eighth against Dylan Pearce in a play that resulted in the ejection of Ogden manager Kash Beauchamp.

Hawks outfielder Juan Teixeira was on second after a double and Cruce on first on an intentional walk. Pearce struck out Trevor Minder for the second out and, on a 2-2 pitch to Ryan Walstad, bounded off the mound as his teammates began running to the dugout on a backdoor pitch on the outside corner.

But it was called a ball. Walstad then took the full-count pitch into right field, where Broughton scooped and fired to third base, throwing out Cruce to end the inning. But Teixeira crossed home plate before the out was made at third base, putting Boise up 3-2.

Beauchamp was tossed for arguing about the sequence, then got his money’s worth before leaving the field.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth, Ogden appeared ready to answer when Dakota Conners singled and Sonny Ulliana drew a walk. But Brandon Bohning grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jackson Lancaster pitched the ninth for Ogden, giving up a two-out single but striking out two — extending his short Raptors career to 8 1/3 scoreless relief innings while allowing four hits and striking out 15.

Broughton’s speed got things going in the bottom of the ninth. He tapped a swinging bunt to the right of the mound and new reliever Noah McBride couldn’t snag it on a swinging stab, knowing a quick, decisive play was the only way to retire Broughton on such a play.

Pat Adams showed bunt for several pitches before Broughton was able to steal second on a delayed play where a ball popped out of catcher Sean Skelly’s glove. Adams then bunted Broughton to third.

Ogden shortstop Jesus Valdez struck out in three pitches, even after Cruce dropped a high pop in foul territory.

So there was Alexiades, again, at the plate with two outs and a runner on third. He took a called strike on a curve, fouled off a fastball, then fouled off the first 0-2 pitch. The next pitch was up and over the plate, which Alexiades cracked up the middle to send Broughton jogging home.

After one feeble pickoff attempt of Alexiades at first, Dansereau ripped the first pitch into the gap to win the game.

Alexiades finished 4 for 5 with a double, the three RBIs and scored the game-winning run. Conners hit 3 for 4, and Broughton and Dansereau each had two hits.

Lancaster picked up the win on the mound. McBride took the loss for Boise after allowing the two runs in 2/3 of an inning, spoiling the 3 2/3 scoreless relief innings provided by Mitch Lines.

The two teams continue the six-game series at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

TUESDAY SCORES

Ogden 4, Boise 3

Grand Junction 13, Rocky Mountain 5

Billings 16, Northern Colorado 2

Great Falls 7, Idaho Falls 3

Glacier 9, Missoula 2

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS

Second Half

NORTH DIVISION

Idaho Falls 5-2 (33-22 overall)

*Missoula 4-3 (39-15)

Great Falls 4-3 (31-23)

Billings 4-3 (29-24)

Glacier 2-5 (19-35)

SOUTH DIVISION

Grand Junction 5-2 (31-24)

Rocky Mountain 3-3 (19-33)

*Ogden 3-4 (32-23)

Northern Colorado 2-4 (19-32)

Boise 2-5 (19-36)

*- denotes first-half champion

Newsletter