Raptors Rebound with 8-4 Win
July 22, 2015 - Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
OGDEN - The Ogden Raptors (15-16) scored five runs in the bottom of the second inning and cruised to an 8-4 win over the Missoula Osprey (18-13) on Tuesday night behind outstanding performances on the mound.
"They were hitting us, scoring a lot of runs against us, and we were not making quality pitches," said Raptors manager John Shoemaker. "We made some adjustments today the way we were pitching some of their guys and it paid off." (see John Shoemaker's postgame interview above)
Missoula had outscored Ogden 27-12 in the first three games of the series and jumped out to a 2-0 lead when Luke Lowery, Austin Byler, and Jason Morozowski got consecutive two-out hits off of Jairo Pacheco in the first inning.
But the Raptors responded with five runs in the second inning with Nick Sell, Ivan Vela, and Faustino Oguisten leading off the inning with consecutive hits and Delvis Morales capping it off with a three-run home run over Raptor Ridge in right-centerfield to give Ogden a 5-2 lead.
Missoula got a run back in the third inning and another in the fifth inning, but Pacheco (3-2) settled down after that first inning, allowing just five hits in six innings - the longest outing of the season for any Raptor starting pitcher.
Ogden tacked on two runs in the fourth inning and one more in the seventh on Scott De Jong's sixth home run of the season. He is now tied with Willie Calhoun and Michael Medina for the team lead. Calhoun and Medina, who are tied for the most games played in the Pioneer League, had the night off. De Jong's home run extended his season-long hitting streak to ten games.
Matt Jones doubled in each of his first two at-bats and joined Morales, Sell, and Gage Green with multiple hits for the Raptors, who handed Yefrey Ramirez (2-1) his first loss of the season.
"We did not take a batting practice today on the field and I feel like the guys were a little fresher," Shoemaker said.
Lenix Osuna pitched a hitless, scoreless seventh inning, and Wes Helsabeck followed suit in the eighth and ninth innings while also striking out three batters.
Ogden has Wednesday off before traveling to Grand Junction on Thursday to begin a four-game series at Suplizio Field.
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Pioneer League Stories from July 22, 2015
- Voyagers Game Notes: July 22 vs. Billings - Great Falls Voyagers
- LHP Alex Katz Joins Voyagers - Great Falls Voyagers
- First-Half Pennant Race Heats up with Key Homestand Tonight - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Owlz Lose Series in 5-1 Setback at Helena - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Raptors Rebound with 8-4 Win - Ogden Raptors
- Chukars Leave Home with a Loss - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Hilliard, Keck Lift Rockies in Series Finale - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Five-Run Second Sinks O's at Ogden - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Easterling, Voyagers Earn Split with Chukars - Great Falls Voyagers
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