Jackalopes Leave Ogden Hex Behind
PL Grand Junction Jackalopes

Jackalopes Leave Ogden Hex Behind

Published on August 18, 2025 under Pioneer League (PL)
Grand Junction Jackalopes News Release


The Grand Junction Jackalopes finished their penultimate home series on a 10-8 victory over the Raptors on Sunday afternoon.

The Raptors took the lead in the top of the first on back-to-back home runs by Connor Bagnieski and Chris Sargent, scoring three runs on those two swings. With that, it meant the Raptors had taken the initial lead in all six games of this series.

The Jackalopes fought back in the bottom of the first, with Evan Scavotto kicking things off with a two-run double, but the next two batters were retired in order before Scavotto could tie up the game in that same inning.

The Raptors held their one-run lead until the bottom of the third, when Shane Gustafson got the first batter out, but couldn't accomplish a second out until seven batters later. Scavotto tied up the game on a solo shot to right field, and then the bases were loaded on two subsequent hits and a walk to set up Preston Shelton to punch ahead for the first and final lead for the Jackalopes on a two-run double down the right field line.

Parker Wakeman faced four and struck out one in the top of the fourth to get his second shutout of the game, leading into a break-ahead bottom of the fourth for the Grand Junction offense.

Gustafson was pulled after walking the leadoff batter, and Dylan Gardner came in for just that one inning and allowed the Jackalopes to bat around and score five more runs, all of which came off of two homers - the first was a three-run blast by Mason Minzey for his third home run this weekend, and the second that scored two on Christian Castaneda's sixth of the season.

The Jackalopes carried a 10-3 lead into the top of the fifth for Wakeman's third shutdown attempt, but that time, the Raptors got to him and scored four on eight batters faced. Wakeman would finish the inning himself, but his once seven-run lead was cut down to a three-run lead when he left the game after 98 pitches through five.

After the top of the fifth, neither team scored until the top of the ninth, courtesy in part by two scoreless innings by Aydan Alger and a scoreless eighth by Jacob McCaskey.

Reese Miller came into the top of the ninth with the save opportunity, and on his second pitch of the inning to Chris Sargent, he gave up his first home run on the season. With that, Sargent had back-to-back multi-home run days against the Jackalopes, and this one broke a streak of 21 innings pitched and 18 appearances since Miller's last earned run allowed. It was his third earned run given up in now 37 appearances and 45.1 innings pitched in 2025.

Immediately following the home run, Miller locked in and struck out the side to secure his 14th save on the season and his second this week.

The Jackalopes finished their one-and-only series against the Raptors 2-4, with Parker Wakeman awarded his first professional win in his third start with the team. Shane Gustafson (5-3) took his third loss of the season.

With the Sunday victory, the Jackalopes have won their tenth game of the second half leading into their final home series of the season against the Colorado Springs Sky Sox, which will kick off on Tuesday night at 6:35 PM MT.

Check out the Grand Junction Jackalopes Statistics

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Pioneer League Stories from August 18, 2025


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