Ogden Raptors squeak out 6-5 victory over NoCo Owlz to end skid
Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors
Ogden Raptors catcher Chris Sargent swings at a pitch Monday, July 15, 2024, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.The Ogden Raptors entered Thursday having lost five of their last six games, including three straight, and needed to stop the skid to keep from sliding too far down the second-half standings.
The Northern Colorado Owlz, winners in 10 of their last 13, keep finding ways to edge their way to victory.
But after giving up a good lead Thursday, Ogden found its answer in a two-at-bat sequence, defeating the Owlz 6-5 on the road in Windsor, Colorado.
That sequence went like this: in the bottom of the seventh and the game tied 5-5, Ogden reliever Jon Rice issued a one-out walk and, with two outs, had runners on the corners which put the go-ahead run 90 feet away. Rice struck out Euro Diaz looking to end the threat.
In the next at-bat, Raptors first baseman Chris Sargent hit a solo home run to lead off the top of the eighth, ultimately giving Ogden the 6-5 win.
Raptors third baseman Raymond Gil kept his bat hot, singling in a run in the third and two more in the fifth to get Ogden (26-31, 4-5 second half) going. The Raptors scored four in the fifth, with shortstop Elliott Good adding an RBI single and Sargent a run-scoring groundout, to go up 5-1.
Nico Saltaformaggio had Northern Colorado (34-22, 6-3) locked down early, allowing three hits in four innings. But the Owlz, second in the Pioneer League with 83 home runs, used power to erase the deficit.
Henry George (a two-run shot) and Dave Matthews (solo) each homered off Saltaformaggio in the fifth to make it 5-4, then the Owlz tied the game in the sixth when Dario Gomez hit a leadoff homer to welcome Ogden reliever Christian Griffin into the game.
Raptors throwers Shane Gustafson, Rice, Dylan Matsuoka and Quinn Waterhouse allowed just one hit over the final 3 2/3 innings, with Rice’s two walks posing the last threat from the Owlz.
That effort helped Ogden again avoid a Knockout Round derby decider. The Raptors, historically not good in the unique tie-game format, are the only team in the Pioneer League to have not participated in a Knockout this season. The Yolo High Wheelers have competed in seven in their first season in the league.
In three games this series, Northern Colorado has a plus-two advantage (16-14) in run differential.
The teams play again at 6:15 p.m. Friday.
Ogden Raptors
