PL Idaho Falls Chukars

Voyagers Sweep Twin Bill from Chukars

Published on July 15, 2012 under Pioneer League (PL)
Idaho Falls Chukars News Release


The morning optimism that precedes a home double header was quickly squashed Sunday afternoon, as the Great Falls Voyagers came into Melaleuca Field and swept the Idaho Falls Chukars, winning game one 8-4 and game two 7-2.

The home field sweep came on the heels of the first home rainout for the Chukars since September 2009 and dropped the Greybirds four games out of first place on a day the Ogden Raptors lost.

Things looked promisingly enough at the start of the first game, with the Chukars breaking up a 1-1 tie with three runs in the fourth to go up 4-1. Back-to-back singles from Jin-Ho Shin and Rainier Bello started the inning, followed by an RBI double off the right field from Parker Morin to plate Shin. Bello would come in one batter later on an RBI ground out from Jerico Blanco and Morin would score on a 2-out, RBI single to right from Adrian Martinez.

The lead would be short lived however, as Chukars starting pitcher Spencer Patton continued his trend of fifth inning struggles by allowing four of the five Voyagers run in the inning to put Great Falls up 6-4. The Voyagers, who had been held to just one run on three hits for the previous four innings, smacked around three extra-base hits in the frame to chase Patton and rough up reliever Matt Strahm.

The Voyagers would score two more runs in the top of the seventh, and final, inning to put the game out of reach, with the Chukars offense managed just one hit after the fourth.

Game two started similarly with the Chukars in a tight game trailing just 2-1 through four innings, but once again the fifth frame proved fatal for the Greybirds as the Voyagers come through for three runs to take a 5-1 lead. The advantage would grow to 7-1 with single runs in both the sixth and seventh before the Chukars scored a single run in the bottom of the 7th to end the scoring.

The Idaho Falls offense actually knocked around 13 hits in the second game, but all of them were singles. The Great Falls bats meanwhile needed only eight hits to score their seven runs, as five of the hits were doubles.

One of the lone bright spots for the Chukars on the day was second baseman Carlos Garcia who went 4-4 in game two and a combined 4-7 with two runs and a stolen base for the day.

With the two losses the Chukars fall to 12-15 while the Voyagers improve to 17-10. The two teams will meet up for game three of the 4-game series Monday night at 7:15.

Check out the Idaho Falls Chukars Statistics

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Pioneer League Stories from July 15, 2012


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