NoCo Conks 20 Hits in Home Win
Published on July 22, 2022 under Pioneer League (PL)
Northern Colorado Owlz News Release
Northern Colorado Owlz vs. Rocky Mountain
(Northern Colorado Owlz)
GREELEY, Colo. -- The Owlz prevailed in a good ol' fashioned Pioneer League hit parade to put themselves back in the win column.
NoCo (2-2) tallied 20 hits, setting a new season-high hit total. It compiled crooked numbers in four innings, giving them a lead as big as seven runs at one point. Seven batters banked multiple base knocks in their 12-9 victory.
Rocky Mountain (2-2) rocked its fair share of hits too. Fourteen, to be exact, giving the Vibes three games with double digit hits in the early aughts of this second half.
That's also the number of games this half in which the Owlz have hopped out to the first lead.
On Friday, a flurry of first-inning hits helped that cause. With one out, five consecutive singles sent in two runs, sending the Owlz to the scoreboard right away. Kevin Higgins and Brandon Crosby got credit for RBI in the inning.
In the third, though, the Vibes evaporated that 2-0 NoCo lead. They followed up with a four-spot to claim an advantage of their own.
That 4-2 lead became Rocky Mountain's only one of the evening for a few reasons.
First, the Owlz threw together three more runs the very next inning to go up 5-4.
Second, Colton Williams (W, 1-2) settled himself back in. After allowing those four runs in the third, he allowed just two more batters to reach base the rest of the way. In all, Williams worked five innings, gave up five earned runs, struck out four, and walked just two.
Meanwhile, William's teammates rewarded his work with wallop after wallop at the dish. By the time the southpaw starter saw his evening end, the Owlz had hacked 17 hits and scored all 12 of their runs.
But the relievers couldn't relent. Not after losing late leads in consecutive games entering Friday's conflict.
Emmanuel Rosario, Ben Strahm, Kyle Adkins, and Christian Griffin (S, 4) kept the Vibes quiet enough to keep collapses from becoming a trend. Each of them pitched one inning. Adkins and Griffin got out of theirs by facing just three batters.
Between all the bullpen arms, NoCo allowed just six hits, but the Vibes did make up some ground due to four combined walks.
In the end, though, the Owlz offense had put forth probably its finest performance yet. It accumulated a lead too large for the Vibes to vanquish.
Every starter in this game garnered at least one hit. The top four hitters in the lineup - Alex Jackson, Matthew Turner, Tim Bouchard, and Higgins - each churned out three hits on Friday. Higgins and Jackson, who homered in the fifth, led the team with three RBI apiece.
Each of the next three batters in the lineup - Ty Lewis, Crosby, and Cameron Phelts - tapped two hits in the contest. They each etched at least one RBI too. Crosby finished the game with a pair of them.
Johnny Carr casually beat out an infield hit in his first home start. Robbie Kellerman cracked a run-scoring single in the third inning. Euro Diaz, despite being the only Owl without a hit, still scored a run in this one.
All these birds have been bashing baseballs to start the second half. On Friday, the birds on the bump began to match that momentum.
The result was a win, which they'll look to replicate on Saturday right back at the friendly confines. First pitch in game two of this three-game weekend set is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.
Images from this story
 Northern Colorado Owlz vs. Rocky Mountain |
Pioneer League Stories from July 22, 2022
- No Comeback Three-Peat as Vibes Lose 12-9 - Rocky Mountain Vibes
- Mustangs Can't Escape Early Hole, Fall 11-3 - Billings Mustangs
- NoCo Conks 20 Hits in Home Win - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Another Exciting Late Comeback Win for Rocky Mountain - Rocky Mountain Vibes
- Early Offense Leads Raptors Past PaddleHeads in 12-6 Loss - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Another Fateful Eighth Gives Vibes Consecutive Comeback Wins - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Mustangs Rally, But Can't Complete Comeback in 5-3 Defeat - Billings Mustangs
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