Ogden Raptors split high-scoring weekend with Boise Hawks to stay in 1st place
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- Ogden Raptors outfielder Cameron Phelts leaps for a stellar grab of a Boise fly ball on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors second baseman Dakota Conners swings on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors outfielder Reese Alexiades hits a home run against Boise on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors pitcher Riley Ottesen delivers a pitch on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Reese Alexiades, center, celebrates his home run with Ogden Raptors teammates on June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors catcher Logan Williams runs for a double against Boise on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Raymond Gil 9, Cameron Phelts 10 out
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- Raymond Gil 9 broken bat
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- Reese Alexiades 7
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- Ogden Raptors outfielder Cameron Phelts leaps for a stellar grab of a Boise fly ball on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Two men watch as the Ogden Raptors face the Boise Hawks on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Pablo Arevalo, center, meets with Evan Parker (34) and Logan Williams on the mound June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Ogden Raptors outfielder Cameron Phelts runs to first base on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
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- Boise’s Kole Kaler celebrates his leadoff home run against Ogden on Saturday, June 24, 2023, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
OGDEN — The Ogden Raptors and Boise Hawks split a high-scoring weekend pair of games at Lindquist Field, setting up a Monday rubber match to decide the series and give one team the upper hand at the top of the South Division first-half race.
Two of the league’s best starters by ERA got beat up in consecutive nights. The Hawks (17-12) beat up Ogden (17-11) starter Pablo Arevalo on Saturday night, bursting to a big lead before a faint Ogden rally late. The next day, the Raptors hammered Boise starter Ryley Widell to take a huge lead before a faint Hawks rally late.
The two teams face off at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Lindquist Field. One of the few Monday home games, the Raptors are hosting Movie Monday where fans with tickets to Monday’s game can put a blanket on the left-field grass and watch the movie “Jurassic Park” on the scoreboard after the game.
After concluding the series with Boise, the Raptors remain home at Lindquist Field for three games against Idaho Falls from Tuesday through Thursday.
With three weeks left in the first half, Ogden is a half-game ahead of Boise in the South Division. Northern Colorado (14-15) is 3 1/2 games behind Ogden, Grand Junction (14-16) is four games back and Rocky Mountain (9-19) is eight games back.
RAPTORS 19, HAWKS 8
Ogden second baseman Dakota Conners hit a grand slam during an eight-run sixth inning as the Raptors blasted Boise on Sunday afternoon.
The Raptors already led 9-2 through five innings thanks to a two-run homer from Juan Teixeira and RBI doubles by infielders Sal Gozzo and Rafael Narea.
Conners’ slam was only the start of the big sixth inning. After an RBI single from Cam Phelts, Reese Alexiades cleared loaded bases with a three-run double to make the score 17-2.
Alexiades then moved into a tie for the Pioneer League lead in home runs with a two-run blast in the eighth, his 10th of the season, before the Hawks scored four inconsequential runs against pitcher Jon Rice in the ninth inning.
Alexiades is 5 for 11 with three homers and seven RBIs in the last two games.
Mitchell Stone got the win on the hill for Ogden, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks over six innings, striking out four.
Ogden beat up Boise starter Ryley Widell in two-plus innings, scoring seven earned runs and making him pay for seven walks with three timely hits.
Gozzo hit 3 for 4 with two RBIs at the plate for Ogden.
HAWKS 13, RAPTORS 10
Alexiades hit solo homers in the first and the fifth innings Saturday but the Raptors couldn’t keep up with Boise’s bats as the Hawks hit three home runs off Pablo Arevalo in the first four outs of the game.
Alex Baeza and Ronnie Allen Jr. each drove in three runs for Boise and Buddie Pindel gave up one earned run in a four-inning start.
After a rough six innings that saw Ogden get down 13-5, lefty Chase Stratton threw three hitless, scoreless innings for the Raptors, striking out the side in the eighth and putting just one baserunner on via walk.
A two-run double from Logan Williams in the ninth helped Ogden post five runs but the rally fell short.