Alexiades walk-off single caps Raptors rally in 5-4 win over Boise
Reese Alexiades is no stranger to walk-off singles. He had multiple such hits for the Ogden Raptors last season.
The center fielder did it again Thursday night to end Ogden’s three-game skid as the Raptors scored three in the eighth and, with no outs, the winner in the ninth to defeat the Boise Hawks 5-4 in front of 4,957 fans at Lindquist Field.
Ogden (34-23, 3-6 second half) struck first when Dane Tofteland doubled in Dakota Conners in the second inning. But Boise (28-20, 3-6) starter Alex Smith was otherwise great and the Raptors had to wait him out. Smith allowed six hits in seven innings, allowing the lone run.
Boise’s offense gave him the lead when Anthony Walters hit a three-run homer in the fourth and, with Ogden starter Jake Mulholland still on the bump, a Trevor Minder RBI single with two outs in the sixth. That made it 4-1.
But Smith exited for the eighth inning and the Raptors scored four runs against relievers Casey Dykstra and Drew Marrufo over the next one-plus innings.
Rafael Narea singled in Alexiades, Dakota Conners doubled home Logan Williams and a Sal Gozzo groundout scored pinch-runner Riley Ottesen to tie the game in the eighth.
In the ninth, Damian Henderson pinch-hit for Cam Phelts and was hit by a pitch, with Phelts re-entering to run. Nick Ultsch singled up the middle, sending Phelts to third, and Alexiades smoothly punched the winning hit to right field, plating Phelts for the victory.