Three-Run Eighth Drops Raptors
August 18, 2018 - Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
OGDEN, UT - For most of the season, the Ogden Raptors have been piling on when taking an early lead and coming through in clutch situations.
Against the Billings Mustangs, however, the magic has come up empty in five of six games.
After the Raptors took a lead in the first inning Saturday, the Mustangs scratched and clawed for six late runs before holding off two Ogden rallies in a 6-4 win.
The Raptors, playing host for the second of three games after falling in three of four in Billings, looked to be on a roll after scoring four times in the first two innings. After a Jeremy Arocho hit and a dropped Dillon Paulson fly ball in the bottom of the first, Ronny Brito launched his ninth home run of the season, a three-run shot, to put his team on top. It was the first time in the six games with Billings that they scored first.
With one out in the second, Eric Peterson obliterated a 3-1 offering over the left-field fence for a solo homer, his second with Ogden. The blast traveled 448 feet, the best for an Ogden hitter in 2018.
After the four runs, the Billings starter settled down and faced the minimum through the end of his five-inning outing.
The Mustangs, held down in a spot start by Orlandy Navarro (one hit, two strikeouts and the minimum faced over three innings), scored against Justin Lewis in the fourth and sixth. Errors contributed to both runs, making both unearned.
In the seventh, Yeison Cespedes hit the leadoff man and allowed two singles to score a run and bring the game within one.
Billings completed their comeback with three doubles and an automatic walk to score three times in the eighth against Hunter Speer.
After leaving a runner on second with one out in the sixth and stranding a leadoff single in the seventh, the Raptors appeared on the verge of their own comeback as they loaded the bases with one out in the eighth. A pair of strikeouts looking doomed that opportunity, and after putting runners on second and third in the ninth a strikeout and pop out ended the game.
The finale between Billings and Ogden will be Sunday afternoon at 4:00.
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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