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Idaho Falls edges Ogden Raptors 6-5 despite dominant hit margin Wednesday

By Brett Hein - Standard-Examiner | Jun 7, 2023

ISAAC FISHER, Special to the Standard-Examiner

A Pioneer Baseball League ball sits in a glove on May 27, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.

The Ogden Raptors had opportunities to claim a victory Wednesday night despite being handily outhit 14-5 by the Idaho Falls Chukars.

But the left-on-base woes that hampered Ogden in Boise last week reappeared Wednesday and the Chukars edged the Raptors 6-5 at Lindquist Field.

Ogden (8-6) didn’t make Idaho Falls (6-8) starter Armando Valle pay a steep enough price for issuing seven walks in just a four-inning start.

The Raptors managed just two hits against the IF starter, both in the second inning for a 2-0 lead when Dakota Conners singled and Reese Alexiades doubled in consecutive at-bats. Conners then scored on a Sal Gozzo sacrifice fly and Alexiades plated on a wild pitch.

Two Raptors walked with one out in the third but went nowhere when Valle otherwise struck out the side.

The fourth was the most painful frame in both halves for Ogden. In the top of the fourth, Trevor Halsema hit a two-run homer, Bryce Brown doubled and later scored, and Idaho Falls scored four runs for a 5-2 lead.

With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Raptors Brian Dansereau, Coleton Horner, Cameron Phelts and Rafael Narea drew consecutive walks — a good exercise in patience, but one that ultimately netted one run when none tallied a hit and Landen Barns lined out to the second baseman to end the inning, leaving Ogden behind 5-3.

Ogden hit 2 of 10 with runners on base and 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position, compared to 6 of 20 and 3 for 13 for Idaho Falls.

Alexiades did his part, however; both of Ogden’s hits with runners on base were his, the second coming in the fifth when he belted a two-run home run to centerfield to tie the game 5-5.

But the Chukars totaled six runs on 10 hits against Raptors starter Brock Gilliam, enough to win the contest. Gilliam returned to the mound to pitch the top of the sixth, surrendered a single to Halsema and was then pulled for Riley Ottesen.

Ottesen surrendered two hits to load the bases and couldn’t quite keep Gilliam’s final run off the board when Halsema scored on a groundout to make it 6-5.

Ottesen allowed zero runs from his own baserunners in two innings of work, striking out three and pushing his season total to 10 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Ogden didn’t get another baserunner on board after a Narea single in the sixth was erased by a double-play groundout from Nick Ultsch. Idaho Falls reliever Robbie Brown finished his three innings with a scoreless seventh, and Jacob Bogacz and Bryant Bagshaw each retired the Raptors in order in the eighth and ninth innings.

The two teams continue the series at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

WEDNESDAY SCORES

Idaho Falls 6, Ogden 5

Northern Colorado 14, Rocky Mountain 10

Grand Junction 10, Boise 7

Glacier 11, Billings 0

Missoula 14, Great Falls 4

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS

Through June 7

NORTH DIVISION

Glacier 9-3

Missoula 9-5

Idaho Falls 6-8

Great Falls 5-7

Billings 3-11

SOUTH DIVISION

Northern Colorado 9-4

Boise 9-5

Ogden 8-6

Grand Junction 5-9

Rocky Mountain 4-9

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