Baseball time, whoop! Clearfield’s Stratton debuts, Ogden Raptors open 2022 season with win
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- Ogden Raptors outfielder Anthony Ray slides into home plate for a run during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors pitcher Ronny Orta delivers a pitch during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Fans file into Lindquist Field before opening night of the Ogden Raptors and Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in Ogden. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Ogden Raptors shortstop Fox Semones (22) signs a baseball for a player from the Weber Wolfpack youth team before first pitch of opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Ogden Raptors first baseman Freddy Achecar runs to first after a base hit during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Fans take in opening night of the Ogden Raptors and Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors shortstop Fox Semones (22) slides safely into second on a steal as Grand Junction’s Gavin Johns applies a tag during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors shortstop Fox Semones runs to first base during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- In this wide shot of Lindquist Field, Ogden Raptors players warm up before an inning during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in Ogden. (BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner)
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- Ogden Raptors left fielder Anthony Ray rears back to throw a ball from the left-field corner during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Oggie, the Ogden Raptors mascot, points at fans during opening night of the Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Fans line up at ticket windows outside Lindquist Field during opening night of the Ogden Raptors and Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday, May 25, 2022, in Ogden.
OGDEN — The grills were sizzling, the gloves were popping and the fans were cheering.
On a beautiful, moderate night in the Junction City, the Ogden Raptors returned to the field to open the 2022 Pioneer Baseball League season Wednesday at Lindquist Field, defeating the Grand Junction Rockies 11-8.
The Raptors and the visiting Rockies were introduced player by player as team president Dave Baggott spoke over the PA system about all players in the Pioneer League being “brothers” in trying to advance their careers.
Weber State softball head coach Mary Kay Amicone, flanked by center fielder Mia Rushton, took the mound for the first pitch and threw an overhand dart over the plate to oohs and aahs from the crowd.
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— WeberHQ ???? Brett Hein (@WeberHQ) May 26, 2022
And then, the familiar refrain from behind home plate once warmups were complete: “What time is it? Baseball time, whoop!”
On the field, Ogden starter Ronny Orta got in a first-inning jam but struck out two batters to end a threat with the bases loaded and surrendering just a 1-0 lead. In the bottom half, returning outfielder Reese Alexiades drove in two with a single and former BYU and Billings Mustangs first baseman Freddy Achecar, now in Ogden, scored on a slap hit from Andrew Noviello to make it 3-1.
Achecar doubled in a run in the second and scored on another Alexiades single to make it 6-3 in the second. In the third, left fielder Anthony Ray singled in two runs and later scored on a Josh Broughton single for a 9-3 lead.
Former Raptors outfielder Frankie Jezioro, returning to the Rockies after he joined them midseason last year, hit a solo homer to left to make it 9-4 after four innings.
As the high-scoring game entered the fifth inning, Orta’s night was done and the Raptors replaced him on the mound with Chase Stratton, a 5-foot-10 left-hander from Clearfield who made the team via the local tryout held early in spring training two weeks ago.
Stratton may have been the best pitcher on either side Wednesday. He faced the minimum six batters in two innings, inducing four groundouts, one flyout and allowing one batter a single up the middle who he later picked off from first base.
Ogden catcher Coleton Horner singled in pinch-running Jordan Rathbone to make it 10-4 in the sixth.
Grand Junction strung together several hits against Ogden returning pitcher Jack Cunningham in the top of the eighth, scoring four runs. That was capped when Colin Gordon grounded to short with the bases loaded and Raptors shortstop Fox Semones — who made the team in camp after being drafted in April’s pro tryout in Tucson, Arizona — made a great stop in the hole only to lose his footing, allowing a run to score on an infield single to make it 10-8.
Dylan Pearce took the mound and induced a flyout from Josh Elvir to end the threat and maintain Ogden’s lead, and Grand Junction left the bases loaded for the second time on the night.
The Raptors pushed second baseman Jesus Valdez across the plate on an error in the bottom of the eighth inning for the final 11-8 tally.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
Ogden 11, Grand Junction 8
Boise 11, Idaho Falls 3
Great Falls 17, Northern Colorado 10
Missoula 9, Billings 3
Glacier 11, Rocky Mountain 8
LEAGUE STANDINGS
NORTH DIVISION
Glacier 1-0
Great Falls 1-0
Missoula 1-0
Billings 0-1
Idaho Falls 0-1
SOUTH DIVISION
Boise 1-0
Ogden 1-0
Grand Junction 0-1
Northern Colorado 0-1
Rocky Mountain 0-1