Helena Tops Ogden in Pioneer League Slugfest
August 19, 2015 - Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
OGDEN - After scoring just eight combined runs in the first four games against Ogden, Helena slugged for 13 runs on Tuesday night as the Brewers (4-14, 20-34) snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 13-7 win over the Raptors (10-8, 29-27).
Ivan Vieitez (1-3) had not allowed a run in his last 11 1/3 innings pitched, but gave up a triple and two doubles to the first three batters he faced and left the game after giving up a fourth extra base hit and three runs while retiring just two outs in the first inning. Helena would finish the game with 17 hits - only 3 of which were singles.
Rob McDonnell, Andrew Istler, Clint Freeman, and Misja Harcksen each pitched a near-perfect first inning of relief but struggled beyond that. McDonnell struck out three of the first four batters he faced, but gave up a double and two walks to the first three batters he faced in the fourth inning before giving the ball to Istler. The former Duke Blue Devil surrendered an RBI sacrifice fly before inducing back-to-back groundouts to limit the damage to just one run.
Istler gave up a triple and a double to the first two batters in the fifth inning and another double later in the inning, allowing two runs in the frame. Freeman faced the minimum three batters in the sixth inning before giving up back-to-back doubles to open up a four-run seventh inning that put Helena ahead 10-4. Likewise, Harcksen pitched a perfect eighth inning before allowing a three-run home run to Carlos Belonis in the ninth inning.
Offensively, Scott De Jong's RBI double scored Gage Green in the first inning to get Ogden on the board. Matt Jones' RBI single in the third inning made it a one-run ballgame, 3-2. Trailing 6-2 in the sixth inning, Jimy Perez and Kelvin Ramos hit back-to-back RBI singles to bring the Raptors back to within two runs, 6-4. Ramos finished the game with a team-high three hits.
Following Helena's big top of the seventh inning, Ogden got a huge three-run home run from Gersel Pitre to cut the deficit in half. Although the Raptors got the leadoff man on base in both the eighth and ninth innings, the subsequent batter grounded into a double play both times against Roy, Utah native Bubba Blau.
The Pioneer League South Division was winless (0-4) against the North Division on Tuesday night, so Ogden remains tied with Orem, three games behind Idaho Falls in the second half standings.
Kevin Brown will start the third game of the series on Wednesday night against JB Kole. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00pm MT.
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Pioneer League Stories from August 19, 2015
- Great Falls Shuts Down Grand Junction - Great Falls Voyagers
- Voyagers Game Notes: August 19 vs. Grand Junction - Great Falls Voyagers
- Helena Tops Ogden in Pioneer League Slugfest - Ogden Raptors
- Owlz Lose Third Straight in Montana - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Chukars Bats Silenced in Streak-Snapping Loss - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Brewers End Losing Streak - Helena Brewers
- Bats Go Quiet in Great Falls - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Three Runs Enough for Osprey - Missoula PaddleHeads
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