Vargas Strokes Five Hits to Help Early Ogden Lead Hold Up
Published on July 15, 2018 under Pioneer League (PL)
Ogden Raptors News Release
OGDEN, UT - Despite a seven-run second inning and eight-run lead after the fourth, the Ogden Raptors had to scramble at the end of the game to stay ahead of the Helena Brewers.
Helena drew within two runs after the top of the eighth inning, but Ogden's 18-year-old infielder Miguel Vargas came through with an RBI single in the home half.
The extra run provided enough cushion for an easy ninth as the Raptors held off the Brewers, 10-7, to claim the series victory in advance of Monday's finale.
Vargas played a big role with five hits - representing a season-high by a single Ogden player - two runs scored and two RBI.
His first hit helped Drew Avans to third base ahead of a Matt Cogen single to tie the game in the bottom of the first. In the second, Vargas singled and scored the sixth of Ogden's seven runs. He launched his first pro home run leading off the fourth, added a single in the sixth and drove in Ronny Brito with one out in the eighth for the team's 10th run.
Helena picked up a run in the first as Yeison Coca tripled on the first pitch of the ballgame and Jean Carmona knocked him in with a groundout. After that, Raptors starter Joel Inoa settled down. He pitched four scoreless innings and faced just one batter over the minimum until tiring as he got to the sixth, where he allowed five straight hits and four runs.
By that time, Ogden had the lead well in hand. After the run in the first, the hosts broke things open in the second. Jefrey Souffront singled to lead off, and Jeremy Arocho took a walk. Daniel Robinson then blasted his second home run of the year to make it 4-1. Brito followed with his fifth homer of the year, marking the first Raptors back-to-back shots this season.
Avans then walked and stole second, and he advanced to third on a Vargas single. Cogen walked to load the bases, and Niko Hulsizer drove in Avans on a groundout. Two batters later, Souffront stepped in again and lifted a sacrifice fly to left to plate Vargas. When the dust settled, Ogden had put up seven runs for an 8-1 lead.
Helena chipped away with the four against Inoa in the sixth before adding single runs in the seventh and eighth, but Gregorio Sequera came on for the final out of the eight and a scoreless ninth for his first save.
Ogden's win, in addition to another Missoula victory over Idaho Falls, put the Raptors up four games on the Chukars with eight to play in the first half.
The Raptors will go for a sweep in the finale of their three-game series with Helena, scheduled for a 7:00 start Monday night. It's also another Mini Monday, with the first 500 fans through the gates receiving a mini-bobblehead doll of former Raptor and 2016 NL Rookie of the Year Corey Seager, sponsored by Pers Data!
Pioneer League Stories from July 15, 2018
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- Osprey and Chukars Play Game Two of the Series Sunday - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Osprey Shutout Chukars 12-0 and Post a Season-High 18 Hits - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Late Raptors Rally Stuns Helena - Ogden Raptors
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