Wild Night Ends In An Owlz Loss
August 27, 2016 - Pioneer League (PL)
Northern Colorado Owlz News Release
A back-and-forth affair proved fragile to errors in the Owlz' (33-30, 11-14) loss to the Chukars (32-31, 10-15) on Friday night. Three unearned runs crossed in the bottom of the seventh inning to put Idaho Falls with a comfortable lead en route to an 8-6 victory.
The Owlz scored first in the game, thanks to Keith Grieshaber's sac fly to center field to score Brennan Morgan in the second. However the lead would be short-lived against rehabbing Owlz' starter Blayne Weller.
A leadoff walk started a rally to eventually load the bases with two outs and nine-hole hitter Rudy Martin at the plate. He connected on the first pitch he saw for a ground ball up the middle to score two runs. The second started a streak for the Chukars with three consecutive innings with a run.
In the third it was a Joe Dudek RBI double that brought in a run, and a two-out double steal in the fifth with runners on the corners counted for Idaho Falls' fourth run.
Heading to the fifth, the Chukars' lead was 4-1 and starter Arnaldo Hernandez had retired eight in a row. Grieshaber led off with a single and scored on Angel Genao's first triple of the season. Two batters later, L.J. Kalawaia would bring in Genao with a single through the left side. The Owlz would load the bases in the inning but fail to push across the game-tying run.
Weller was done after four innings and gave way for David Trexler. He would allow a leadoff double to Dudek but leave him stranded with back-to-back strikeouts and a groundout.
Morgan led off the sixth with a double but he would score on Grieshaber's second hit of the night to tie the game at four. The Chukars would be held scoreless in the bottom half thanks to another pair of Trexler K's.
In the bottom of the seventh, Bo Tucker took the mound and allowed a leadoff walk to Meibrys Viloria. He manaaged to get Dudek to fly out to face Yeison Melo with one out. He would hit a grounder to the shortstop Juan Moreno and instead of an inning-ending double play, Moreno missed the ball. Viloria got to third and just two pitches later, Angelo Castellano would rip a triple to right-center. He would score on a Ryan Dale single to put a three-run lead back on the board.
All three leadoff walks the Owlz issued in the game would come around to score -- while tying a season-high in walks allowed at seven. All three runs in the seventh were unearned.
With the score 7-4, the Owlz got one back in the eighth on another Grieshaber single to score Jose Rojas. Keith would a tie career-high in hits and a new career-high in RBIs with three. Also, Kalawaia reached base in four out of five plate appearances with three hits -- a new career-high.
Tucker returned for the bottom of the eighth and allowed a leadoff bunt single to Nick Heath. After a close pickoff attempt, Tucker threw over to first again while Heath was stealing, but airmailed the throw to the fence and down the right field line. Heath's speed brought him to third and manager Justin Gemmoll waved him home to score.
The Owlz made things interesting again in the bottom of the ninth down 8-5. They loaded the bases with the top of the order against Richard Lovelady, but they only run they would bring in was on a double play, setting the final at 8-6.
Next the Owlz continue their six-game road trip with a 7:15 P.M. MDT start against the Chukars at Melaleuca Field.
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Pioneer League Stories from August 27, 2016
- Edwards Promoted to Lexington - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Wild Night Ends In An Owlz Loss - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Wild Night Ends in An Owlz Loss - Northern Colorado Owlz
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