Voyagers Tossed by Rockies

August 26, 2012 - Pioneer League (PL) Great Falls Voyagers

GREAT FALLS - The Great Falls Voyagers (32-32, 8-18) mounted a credible comeback in the late innings but couldn't climb out of an early hole as they fell 7-4 to the Grand Junction Rockies (36-28, 15-11) Saturday night at Centene Stadium. The Voyagers are now 3-2 on their current homestand with 2 games left to play.

The rematch of last Sunday's battled between JC Casey (4-7) and all-star Eddie Butler (7-1) started with a similar script as Casey struggled in the first. Allowing two earned runs, the same as Sunday, and adding a throwing error that scored another, the Voyagers trailed 3-0 right off the bat. Grand Junction added a solo home run, the first of the season, off the bat of Jason Stoltz in the second for a 4-0 lead.

Like Sunday, the Voyagers were only able to scrape up one run in six innings off Butler as Brent Tanner scored Yoandy Barroso with a sacrifice fly in the fourth for a 4-1 score. The comeback truly began in the eighth after Grand Junction had added three extra in the seventh. Reliever Patrick Johnson walked three and gave up a pair of two-out RBI knocks, one to Kyle Robinson and one by Zach Voight, to plate a trio of runs and bring the go-ahead run to the plate. League leading closer Scott Oberg entered and struck out pinch-hitter Thomas McCarthy on a nasty 3-2 fastball to preserve the Rockies' 7-4 lead. The Voyagers put two on for Kyle Robinson in a controversy filled ninth, but Oberg escaped the inning with no damage and earned his 12th save of the season.

The Voyagers play game two of three with the Rockies Sunday afternoon at Centene Stadium. Johendi Jiminian of Grand Junction matches up with Keegan Linza of the Voyagers. The game starts at 1 PM.

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Pioneer League Stories from August 26, 2012

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