Oakland Ballers best Ogden Raptors bullpen again to sweep 3-game series
BRIAN WOLFER, Special to the Standard-Examiner
Ogden Raptors players watch the action in a game against the Oakland Ballers on Saturday, June 14, 2025, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.The 22-11 outburst from Saturday gave way to more strong starting pitching Sunday afternoon at Lindquist Field, and the Oakland Ballers got the best of the Ogden Raptors’ bullpen to claim a 7-4 victory and sweep the three-game series.
The Raptors (11-13) started newcomer Ryan Sleeper, a 6-foot-4 lefty acquired from New York in the Frontier League, and he threw a solid five innings that set up Ogden deep into the game, unlike Saturday’s 15-run second inning from Oakland.
Sleeper hit two batters in the top of the second to load the bases with no outs but pitched around it, inducing a double play ground ball that plated one and getting another groundout to end the inning. Oakland (16-8) made it 2-0 in the third with a Taylor Lozano RBI single but Sleeper struck out Dillon Tatum with runners on second and third to end that frame.
Noah Millikan pitched four scoreless innings in the start for Oakland, allowing three hits and striking out three. The Raptors got going against reliever Alec Rodriguez in the fifth, with Elliott Good scoring on a wild pitch and Chris Sargent doubling in Cole Jordan to tie the game 2-2. Caleb Franzen took over on the mound and left runners on second and third by striking out Connor Bagnieski and getting Carmine Lane to fly out to center field.
Ogden pitchers issued seven walks and Jestin Jones had two of those in the sixth, but he got around those without allowing a run. But Christian Ciuffetelli’s stint in the seventh started poorly with an error charged to the pitcher; he eventually issued a bases-loaded walk and two singles, with Lou Helmig’s RBI capping a four-run inning and putting Oakland ahead 6-2.
Sargent continued his recent hot streak with a two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to make it 6-4. After that, though, Conner Richardson and Connor Sullivan allowed just one Raptors baserunner in the final two innings to seal the sweep.
Sargent hit 3 for 4 with three RBIs; for the three-game series with Oakland, the first baseman/catcher was 9 for 13 with 10 RBIs. The Ballers outhit the Raptors 11-8 and Sargent was Ogden’s only multi-hit batter.
Cam Bufford hit 3 for 4 to lead Oakland at the plate and Michael O’Hara drove in two.
The Raptors next hit the road for the first of three away series this season against the Idaho Falls Chukars, running June 17-22. Ogden returns home hosting Northern Colorado on June 24-29.
