PL Ogden Raptors

Raptors Squeeze by Osprey to Clinch Title Tie

Published on July 17, 2019 under Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release


MISSOULA, MT - For the second time in three days, the Ogden Raptors pulled out to a large lead over the Missoula Osprey, only to have the hosts come back and make things interesting.

In the end the Raptors swatted away the Osprey attempt to tie the game, turning a double play in the ninth with the potential tying run at the plate to secure a 9-6 victory.

The win is the ninth in a row for Ogden - a franchise-best going back to at least 2005 - and clinched at least a tie for the South division first-half title. The Raptors' magic number is down to 1; a single win by Ogden or loss by Grand Junction will secure a Raptors playoff spot.

Ogden got on the board in the first as Jeremy Arocho walked, stole second and third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Joe Vranesh. Brandon Lewis followed with a two-out free pass and Sauryn Lao took advantage of the short porch down the right field line with a soaring drive for his first home run of the season.

Given a 3-0 advantage, Antonio Hernandez danced in and out of trouble in the first and second. He gave up a sharp single and double in the first before a groundout knocked in one, but he struck out Missoula slugger Francis Martinez to end the threat. Two runners reached with one out in the second, but a strikeout and fly out stranded both.

After scoring the three runs in the first, Ogden's bats went silent. The next 10 batters were retired in a row until Zac Ching lined a single on the first pitch of the fifth. Ramon Rodriguez and Arocho added one-out hits to load the bases, and Ching scored on a wild pitch. Sam McWilliams beat out an infield hit to juice the bags again, and Vranesh reached on an infield single of his own to score Rodriguez. Brandon Lewis then played the role of cleanup hitter perfectly, lacing a double into the left-field corner for two more runs and a 7-1 lead.

The Osprey made things interesting in the bottom of the fifth with a leadoff homer and then capitalizing on a two-out error to plate another, but reliever Ricardo Hernandez induced a groundout to strand two runners. In the sixth, Missoula sandwiched two singles around yet another Raptors defensive miscue. Two sacrifice flies followed to make it a two-run game at 7-5.

Missoula southpaw Liu Fuenmayor entered after Lewis' double and shut down that inning before a 1-2-3 sixth. In the seventh, however, Arocho drew a leadoff walk and McWilliams doubled him to third. Two strikeouts made it appear Fuenmayor would get out of the frame, but Lao came through with a line-drive single to plate Arocho. Lao and McWilliams then executed a double steal as McWilliams scored for the second run of the inning.

Again the Osprey didn't back down. Martinez launched his third homer of the series with one out in the seventh to make it 9-6. In the eighth, Cam Coursey doubled with two out but was stranded.

Aaron Ochsenbein came on for the ninth and allowed a bunt hit to start before a high fly ball was caught by a sliding Brandon Wulff in left field. Martinez walked to bring up Jose Reyes as the potential tying run, but Ochsenbein induced a 6-4-3 double play, with Lao picking the throw out of the dirt at first, to end the game.

The finale of the Raptors' four-game series in Missoula - and eight-game North road trip - is scheduled for 7:15 PM Wednesday.

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Pioneer League Stories from July 17, 2019


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