Raptors Erase Big Deficit But Drop Opener to Billings
Published on August 10, 2018 under Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
BILLINGS, MT - A matchup of two of the top teams in the Pioneer League started as a one-sided affair. After four innings, the Ogden Raptors bats woke up and tied the game, but the Billings Mustangs came back to re-take the lead before going on to win, 12-7.
Ogden, with the best offense in the Pioneer League, was silenced on one hit through four innings by Mustangs starter Ricardo Smith.
By the time the fifth rolled around, they were trailing 7-0. Billings had scored four runs in the second and three more in the fourth against Raptors starter Kevin Malisheski. Just three of those seven were earned, thanks to one error in each frame.
In the top of the fifth, Matt Cogen led off with a 10-pitch battle against Smith, eventually singling to left field. James Outman stroked a single to right and Cogen went to third, which allowed him to score on a wild pitch to put Ogden on the board.
Next was Jon Littell, and he grounded to the shortstop but reached when the ball was thrown away. Ramon Rodriguez drove a sacrifice fly to right field to score Outman before Daniel Robinson knocked in Littell on a grounder to the right side.
After a double play ended the fifth and the first two hitters in the sixth were retired, Cogen ignited another rally with a triple down the right field line. He was plated on an Outman line drive single, and a Littell double scored Outman from first to bring Ogden within two.
Robinson opened the seventh with a walk, and he advanced to second on a Jeremy Arocho single. Dillon Paulson reached on a single to the right side on which the first baseman, after making a diving stop, tried to retire Arocho at second base but threw the ball away to bring Robinson across. Finally, Ronny Brito's only hit on the day sent Arocho sprinting around third to tie the game, 7-7.
After the Raptors started scoring, the bullpen held steady for two innings. Wes Helsabeck, in his third rehab appearance, walked the leadoff man in the fifth but set down the next three in order, including two strikeouts. Yeison Cespedes pitched a 1-2-3 sixth, but the game fell apart when he returned for the seventh. Cespedes hit the leadoff man, and two batters later a triple gave Billings the lead again.
The Mustangs would go on to score three more in the seventh and one in the eighth to wrap up their 10th win against two losses in the second half. Ogden is now 8-5 in the second half and in second place by one game behind Grand Junction after taking the first half title in the South in commanding fashion.
The Raptors and Mustangs play game two of their four-game series Saturday night at 7:05.
Pioneer League Stories from August 10, 2018
- Go-Ahead Runs in the Ninth Propel Osprey to Victory over Owlz - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Mustangs Earn 2,999th Win in Team History with 4-3 Squeaker over Raptors - Billings Mustangs
- Walks & Errors Doom Brewers in Series Opener - Helena Brewers
- Osprey Seek First Win in Orem Friday - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Rox Open Series with 14-9 Win over Brewers - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Voyagers Comeback Stamps Out Losing Streak - Great Falls Voyagers
- Raptors Erase Big Deficit But Drop Opener to Billings - Ogden Raptors
- 5th Inning Costs Chukars in Loss - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Orem Uses Early Rally to Beat Missoula 12-7 - Northern Colorado Owlz
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