Rockies Fall in Second Half Opener
July 29, 2016 - Pioneer League (PL)
Grand Junction Jackalopes News Release
With the game tied in the bottom of the eighth inning, Jordan Ebert chopped a single over the head of Colton Welker with the ball just landing inside the leftfield line, scoring Luke Willis in the Idaho Falls Chukars 7-6 win over the Grand Junction Rockies Thursday night at Melaleuca Field.
Willis started the eighth inning by reaching on a swinging bunt, protecting with two strikes against Ryan Luna who was tagged with his first loss of the season.
Grand Junction had it's chance in the ninth. Manny Melendez, who cut down an insurance run in the eighth, was hit by a pitch with one out. He stole second, and moved to third on a ground out, but was stranded when Jonathan Piron flied out to end the game.
Idaho Falls scored three runs on five straight hits in the second inning against Mike Nikorak who left in the inning due to an injury, but Ethan Westphal replaced him and kept the Chukars off the board for 3.2 innings, and the Rockies came back and took the lead.
They scored a run in the third, but in the fourth, Chukars starter Matt Portland walked the bases loaded. Tyler Bugner tied the game with a 2-run double, and Melendez followed with a 2-run single to give the Rockies the lead.
Piron singled in the fifth and scored a run to make it a 3-run game, but with Westphal out of the game, Idaho Falls scored three times against Lorenz Ozuna in the sixth. JD Hammer kept the game tied by stranding two in the sixth, and worked around a leadoff double in the seventh, but Colton Welker was stranded after he started the eighth with a double, and the Chukars capitalized against Luna.
The loss drops the Rockies to 0-1 in the second half, 16-23 overall as the Chukars improve to 16-4 at home. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.
Pioneer League Stories from July 29, 2016
- Long Ball Hurts Grey, Osprey; Helena 8, Missoula 4 - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Owlz Open Second Half in Quiet Loss - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Raptors Slash Owlz with 3 Runs, Despite Excessive Heat - Ogden Raptors
- Rockies Fall in Second Half Opener - Grand Junction Jackalopes
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