Rox Dig Deep for 8-7 Win
August 18, 2018 - Pioneer League (PL)
Grand Junction Jackalopes News Release
In a game that lasted 4 hours and 14 minutes that featured two ejections, two blown saves, six errors, 16 walks, and 26 men left on base, the Grand Junction Rockies outlasted the Helena Brewers 8-7 in 11 innings Friday night at Suplizio Field.
Grant Lavigne's 11th inning sacrifice fly scored what turned out to be the winning run, as Jared Skolnicki got Conner McVey to fly out to right field notch his first save. The end of the game was matter of fact, but how the teams got there was not.
Niko Decolati put the Rockies on top with an RBI single in the first inning, and in the third, Javier Guevara hit a 2-run homer to put the Rockies up three. Joey Bartosic scored a run on a wild pitch in the fourth after he reached on an infield, stole second and stole third, but the Brewers took advantage of four walks and an error in the bottom of the inning and scored three runs without a hit to pull to within one.
Helena then had runners and first and second with nobody out in the sixth and seventh innings, but couldn't score against Jake Bird. Brewers manager Nester Corredor was ejected following the final out of the seventh inning arguing a call at second base. The Rockies increased their lead by scoring runs in the eighth and ninth innings, which got Brewers pitcher Logan Gillespie tossed, and sent Alexander Martinez to the mound to try for his 15th save, but he couldn't get the job done.
He allowed singles to the first three Brewers he faced, which made it 6-4. He struck out David Fry and L.G. Castillo for the first two outs of the inning and got ahead 0-2 on Pablo Abreu, but he walked and Bryan Torres singled home a pair to tie the game. That's the second blown save of the season for Martinez.
The Rockies scored a run in their half of the tenth, but Helena quickly got that back and had the bases loaded with nobody out. Michael Agis was able to keep the game tied after he struck out Yeison Coca, got David Fry to ground into a fielder's choice, and Castillo to ground out to third. He was handed a blown save, but also earned his fourth win.
Rockies pitching walked a season-high 11 batters, but held the Brewers to 3-for-22 with runners in scoring position, as Helena left 15 on base.
The win improves the Rockies to 13-7 in the second half and they increase their lead over Ogden to two games after the Raptors lost to Billings Friday night.
Decolati finished with three hits, while Bartosic added two.
Lavigne, and Guevara drove home two runs.
The Rockies will try for a fourth straight win in the middle game of their three-game series against the Brewers. The first pitch from Kindrick Legion Field is set for 7:05.
Pioneer League Stories from August 18, 2018
- Late Runs Sink Voyagers in Idaho Falls - Great Falls Voyagers
- Three-Run Eighth Drops Raptors - Ogden Raptors
- Osprey Top Orem 7-4 Behind Zack Shannon's Four RBI - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Chukars Win in Comeback Fashion - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Brewers Throttle Rockies to Even Series - Helena Brewers
- Rockies Outlast Brewers in Extra Inning Extravaganza - Helena Brewers
- Brewers Top Rox 8-1 - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Mustangs Rally Late to Win 6-4 over Raptors - Billings Mustangs
- Rox Dig Deep for 8-7 Win - Grand Junction Jackalopes
- Osprey Drop First Game of the Series vs. Orem Friday - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Rosario, Sala Lead Owlz to 7-3 Win over Osprey - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Voyagers Clip Chukars in Extras - Great Falls Voyagers
- Chukars Lose in 10 Innings, 3-2 - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Bats Quiet as Raptors Drop Opener - Ogden Raptors
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