High Wheelers Defeat Jackalopes
PL Grand Junction Jackalopes

High Wheelers Defeat Jackalopes

July 17, 2025 - Pioneer League (PL)
Grand Junction Jackalopes News Release


The Humpback Chubs lost their first game of the second half in the alternate identity jerseys to the Yuba-Sutter High Wheelers, 12-5 on Wednesday night.

Much like the series opener, Grand Junction gave up the lead off the bat in the top of the first, but unlike last night, the High Wheelers never took their foot off the gas pedal in the first four innings.

Chubs starter Coley Kilpatrick gave up seven of the nine runs scored in the first consecutive four frames, a career-high for earned runs allowed in his fourth professional start. Brock Gillis came in to relieve Kilpatrick in the fourth inning and gave up his only two hits and two runs of his two innings out of the pen on a Cuba Bess two-run blast to right, his third this series.

Brock Gillis put up the first zero on the scoreboard in the fifth, walking two but striking out the side for the three other batters he faced in that inning. In Gillis's two innings, five of his six outs were punchouts, putting him in the team lead with 54 strikeouts in his rookie campaign. Gillis is now in third place for the league lead in strikeouts through the first 50 games of 2025.

The Chubs offense, unlike the series opener, scored more consistently in game two, plating a run in five of the nine offensive tries; however, all of those five run- scoring innings never resulted in multiple runs, making the lead slip further away from the hometown team as the High Wheelers continued to create rallies.

The final three bullpen arms for the Chubs, Aydan Alger, Alec Rodriguez, and Reese Miller finished out the final three defensive innings on a high note - three straight scoreless frames to give the Chubs as much of an opportunity to make a late comeback, but the backend of Yuba-Sutter's pen, Andrew Garcia and Scott Ellis, held the Chubs offense to one run and two hits.

Matthew Kavanaugh (3-1), the High Wheelers starter, accepted his second win over Grand Junction in the month of June, throwing six frames and giving up four of the Chubs' five runs. Coley Kilpatrick (0-1) received his first professional decision - a loss in his fourth start of his rookie season.

Yuba-Sutter, now 31-19 on the season, took an early 2-0 advantage in their final six- game series against the GJ squad. The High Wheelers have scored double digit runs on the Jackalopes/Chubs in four of their 14 matchups in 2025, and now have an 8-6 record over Frank Gonzales' team on the season.

The Jackalopes will return to Suplizio on Thursday night for game three. First pitch will be at 6:35 PM MT.

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The second half of the Pioneer League season kicks off this week as the Jackalopes take on the High Wheelers at home. In the Pioneer League, the two teams that finish the highest in the first half and second half make up the four-team playoffs.

Check out the Grand Junction Jackalopes Statistics



Pioneer League Stories from July 17, 2025


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