Tuesday Night's Loss Puts Owlz on Brink of Elimination
Published on September 5, 2013 under Pioneer League (PL)
Northern Colorado Owlz News Release
OREM - The Orem Owlz lost a heartbreaking 8-5 game Tuesday night to the Idaho Falls Chukars after fighting back from what was a 6-1 deficit in a wild contest.
Eric Aguilera's three-run home run to straightaway center in the bottom of the 7th made the Idaho Falls lead 6-5, but the Chukars brought in right-handed reliever Corey Rhoney who recorded the last two outs of the inning to halt Orem's rally. That gave the Chukars a chance to tack on to their lead, which they did in the 8th and 9th by scoring a run in both innings.
The game got crazy in the bottom of the 8th inning when Jose Rondon led off the inning with a double. Stephen McGee struck out before Raul Linares hit a high fly ball to right field. Idaho Falls right fielder Elier Hernandez backed up against the wall underneath the towering fly ball and leapt to try and make the catch. Reaching his glove over the wall, Hernandez came back dejectedly as if he had missed the ball and it had gone over the fence for a game-tying home run. After a couple of seconds of acting like he hadn't made the catch, Hernandez reached into his glove, pulled out the baseball and threw it into second base where Rondon had vacated when he tagged and advanced to third base.
Meanwhile, base umpire Marc Lindsey had signaled that it was a home run. Idaho Falls manager Omar Ramirez argued that Rondon hadn't tagged up on the play and the demonstrative argument led to Ramirez getting ejected from the game.
With two outs and Rondon at third, Mark Shannon struck out looking to end the inning. After the tack-on run in the top of the 9th, Kyle Bartsch struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning to shut the door on the Owlz.
Aguilera's 7th-inning home run was his 10th homer of the season, which leads the Owlz in that category. Cal Towey and Jose Rondon each had a pair of hits in the game in addition to Aguilera's two.
Garrett Nuss took home the loss to fall to 2-4 while Elliot Morris pitched three scoreless innings in relief. Dan Tobik made his Owlz debut by pitching the 8th and allowing one unearned run on one hit with a walk and a strikeout.
Idaho Falls' magic number is now two, so a Chukars win on Wednesday would clinch the Pioneer League South Second Half Championship and eliminate the Owlz from playoff contention. With five games left in the season for both teams, the Owlz have to win all five games to finish the season and Idaho Falls has to lose at least four out of its last five games, or the Owlz have to win four out of their last five games while Idaho Falls loses its last five games and the Owlz loss cannot be to Idaho Falls.
Orem will finish the four-game series with the Chukars on Wednesday night with the first pitch at 7:05 p.m. MDT. Grand Junction will come to town Thursday and Friday then the Owlz will finish the season with a two-game series in Idaho Falls. Every game can be heard online at audio.oremowlz.com.
Pioneer League Stories from September 5, 2013
- Raptors Eliminated with Loss - Ogden Raptors
- Rockies Walk-Off with Win - Ogden Raptors
- Chukars Clinch 1st Playoff Berth Since 2007 - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Owlz Lose 12-7, Eliminated from Playoff Contention - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Tuesday Night's Loss Puts Owlz on Brink of Elimination - Northern Colorado Owlz
- Osprey Drop Home Finale in 10 Innings - Missoula PaddleHeads
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