Stephen Still and Kelly Dugan Power Jackalopes Past Vibes
August 8, 2024 - Pioneer League (PL)
Rocky Mountain Vibes News Release
As the Lakers greats Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal proved, sometimes all it takes is a dynamic duo to lead a team to victory.
On Wednesday, California natives in Grand Junction starter Stephen Still and first baseman Kelly Dugan did their best impression, combined for seven scoreless innings and a pair of two-run home runs to lead the Jackalopes (25-42, 10-10) to a 9-2 victory over the Vibes (30-36, 9-11).
This game had pitching duel written all over it, as Still and Rocky Mountain starter Carlos Lomeli were both perfect through the first two innings, allowing only one runner and four strikeouts by the conclusion of the third. Then Dugan happened.
After Grand Junction second baseman Andres Rios' leadoff single in the fourth, Dugan smashed a 2-1 hanging curveball 460 feet to right field, putting the Jackalopes ahead 2-0. The 33-year-old hit his 17th home run of the season, continuing his remarkable season in which he was named Pioneer League Hitter of the Month in July, leading the league in home runs (14), RBIs (41), SLG (.967), and OBP (.550), and second in AVG (.433) for the month.
He wasn't done yet, as Rios led out the sixth inning with another base hit, this time a double. Dugan subsequently sent a shot to dead center that caught the batter's eye square in the middle for his second home run of the game against Lomeli, giving the Jackaplos a 4-0 advantage.
The Vibes struggled against Still, who had 13 strikeouts in his previous start against Rocky Mountain and continued to ramp up the fastball to blow past Vibes batters, finishing with 9 Ks on the night, allowing only five hits in seven scoreless innings.
Grand Junction put the nail in the coffin by scoring two runs in the seventh and three in the eighth. Shortstop Druw Sackett lined a two-run single up the middle in the seventh, and center fielder Julian Boyd rockets a two-run triple into the right center gap, giving the Jackalopes a 9-0 lead.
Good news for Rocky Mountain: a pair of wild pitches in the ninth inning from Grand Junction reliever Trey Valka allowed a pair of runs to score, allowing the team to avoid being shut out for the first time in 63 days on June 5th against the Billings Mustangs.
The series' rubber match is scheduled for Thursday night at 6:35 p.m. at UCHealth Park, followed by the last three games in Grand Junction.
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