OGDEN — The Owlz are back in the Pioneer Baseball League and the now Windsor, Colorado-based club returned to Ogden and got small-balled to a 5-2 defeat at the claws of the Raptors on Tuesday night at Lindquist Field.

Ogden (8-3) got a stellar start from Ronny Orta, who picked up his second win of the young season by giving up one run, scattering five hits and striking out four in 6 1/3 innings.

Aside from a solo home run, where Northern Colorado’s Brian Densereau got the visitors on the board to briefly tie it 1-1 in the second inning, Orta did not allow a runner past second base.

The Raptors got it done with timely hitting and pressure on the basepaths. Shortstop Fox Semones led off the first with a single, stole second and scored on a double from outfielder Josh Broughton.

After Densereau tied it in the second, Ogden retook the lead for good in the bottom half. Catcher Andrew Noviello walked, moved up on a Dakota Conners single and scored on a single from outfielder Pat Adams to go up 2-1.

Noviello walked and scored again in the fourth after a single from Conners and a wild pitch.

Semones led off the bottom of the fifth getting hit by a pitch, stole second base and scored on a single from designated hitter Anthony Ray to make it 4-1.

Clearfield’s Chase Stratton relieved Orta with one out in the top of the seventh and surrendered a single to put runners on the corners with one out. But Stratton struck out the Owlz’s top of the order in succession — Alex Jackson and Cameron Phelts to end the seventh, and Euro Diaz to open the eighth — for his one inning of work.

With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, outfielder Reese Alexiades doubled to right-center, then scored when third baseman Jesus Valdez poked a single to left for a 5-1 margin.

Jack Cunningham recorded two scoreless outs in the eighth before Northern Colorado (5-6) pushed across a run in the ninth against Dylan Pearce when Mike Annone singled, moved up on a wild pitch and again on a sacrifice fly, and scored on a Zach West hit for the final score. Pearce recorded his league-leading third save.

Valdez and Conners were Ogden’s multiple-hit batters, accounting for two each of the Raptors’ nine hits.

The same two teams continue their six-game series in Ogden with Game 2 at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 8.

TUESDAY SCORES

Ogden 5, Northern Colorado 2

Boise 9, Grand Junction 2

Great Falls 9, Glacier 8

Idaho Falls 17, Rocky Mountain 9

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS

NORTH DIVISION

Great Falls 10-3

Idaho Falls 9-3

Billings 7-3

Missoula 6-6

Glacier 5-7

SOUTH DIVISION

Ogden 8-3

Northern Colorado 5-6

Boise 4-8

Grand Junction 3-8

Rocky Mountain 1-11

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