Voyagers Defeat Osprey, 5-2
Published on August 8, 2011 under Pioneer League (PL)
Great Falls Voyagers News Release
GREAT FALLS Mont.--In a night when streak's came to an end, Blair Walters' personal winning streak stayed alive as the lefty tossed six scoreless innings en route to a Voyagers series-opening victory over the Osprey, 5-2.
Walters (7-0) earned his league-high seventh victory, tossing six scoreless innings against the North division's highest scoring offensive attack. On Jimmy Buffet Night, the product of the University of Hawai'i allowed just two hits, while striking out eight.
The Voyagers got on the board in the third inning on Joe De Pinto's two-run single. After Kyle Eveland sacrificed Andrew Douglas to third and Randall Thorpe to second, De Pinto, the team's RBI leader, dribbled the ball through the middle to score both runners.
After Mark Haddow walked, both Jimmy Jacquot and Kevan Smith collected run-scoring singles, increasing the Voyagers advantage to 4-0. The single for Smith snapped an 0-for-17 slump for the catcher as he picked up his first RBI with the Voyagers. Later in the game he added a line drive double and eventually scored an insurance run to put the Voyagers up 5-0.
Enrique Burgos (4-4) suffered the loss, giving up four runs in five innings.
Haddow reached in all four at-bats, singling once, and walking on four pitches three times.
Randall Thorpe collected two hits batting in the leadoff spot as Qualon Millender got most of the night off. However, Millender entered for Thorpe in the seventh inning and grounded into a fielder's choice in his lone plate appearance, ending his 21-game on-base streak.
Another significant streak came to an end tonight when Eric Groff went 0-for-4 against the Voyagers. The infielder lost a league-high 24-game hitting streak, the longest so far this season. Groff set the Missoula record with that mark and fell eight games shy of former Billings Mustangs' infielder Chris Valaika's 32-game streak.
While not as significant of a streak, Cody Winiarski's scoreless streak to begin his career ended when he gave up two runs in the ninth. After striking out Groff to begin the inning, Winiarski gave up back-to-back doubles, first to Jon Griffin who was then scored on Ryan Court's two-bagger, ending the righty's streak at an even 10 innings.
Before Winiarski, Brandon Parrent worked two perfect innings, striking out four. The outing--his third--was easily was best of his very young career.
The Voyagers conclude their four-game homestand with the finale of a two-game series against the first-half champions, the Missoula Osprey, tomorrow night. Peter Gehle (3-5) takes the mound for the Voyagers against Jesse Darrah (3-0) for the Osprey. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. from Centene Stadium with the pregame show set to begin at 6:35 p.m. on 560 KMON.
Pioneer League Stories from August 8, 2011
- Déjà Vu: Chukars Lose Again 11-6 - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Voyagers Defeat Osprey, 5-2 - Great Falls Voyagers
- Osprey Fall to Voyagers, 5-2 - Missoula PaddleHeads
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