Voyagers Take 5-3 Win
August 23, 2011 - Pioneer League (PL)
Great Falls Voyagers News Release
GREAT FALLS Mont.--Kevan Smith's two-run double in the third inning put the Voyagers in front and carried them a series-opening 5-3 victory.
Entering the third inning, the Voyagers faced a 3-0 deficit. After Michael Schwartz struck out to begin the inning, Sean O'Connell's line drive single to centerfield almost knocked Ghosts starting pitcher, Alex Gillingham, off his feet, and apparently knocked some life into the Voyager. On the very next pitch, Randall Thorpe tripled O'Connell home to get the Voyagers on the board and then one batter later, Jeffer Patino's ground out scored Thorpe to cut the score to 3-2.
With two outs and nobody on base, the Voyagers were not done. After Joe De Pinto drew a full-count walk, Mark Haddow singled to put two on base, extending the inning for Smith. On an 0-1 count, the catcher drove a double down the left field line, scoring both runners to give the Voyagers a 4-3 lead.
Smith, who finished the night 2-for-4, has now collected 14 hits in his last 22 at-bats, with five straight multi-hit games.
After the big inning, Brandon Parrent, who picked up the no-decision in his second start of the year, collected the shutdown inning in the fourth, his final frame of the ballgame. Victimized by Michael Schwartz's error in the first, Parrent allowed three runs, though just one was earned, on two hits. Though he struck out four, he also walked three.
Stew Brase (2-1) collects the win. Out of the bullpen, Brase threw three scoreless innings highlighted by a couple of big strikeouts. Protecting a one run lead throughout his entire outing, Brase got a big strikeout of cleanup hitter, Miguel De Leon, to end the fifth inning, leaving two men stranded. Again in the seventh, with the tying run on second and Casper's most dangerous hitter, Sam Mende, at the plate, Brase got the third baseman to swing and miss at a fastball to get out of yet another tight spot.
Michael Earley provided Brase some help in the sixth. Leading off the inning down by one run, the speedy Francisco Sosa lined a ball down the left field line. As Earley cut it off, Sosa raced to second, but was gunned out by a laser throw from the left fielder. His third outfield assist kept the tying run out of scoring position, and off the bases completely, to begin the frame.
Alex Gillingham (3-4) pitched the league's first complete game of the season, but suffered the defeat due in part mainly to one bad inning. Other than the four run, four hit third inning, Gillingham gave up just one run on four hits the rest of the night. However, his effort was not enough as his bats did not support him in his tenth start of the year.
In just his second career appearance, Chris Devenski (S,1) collected his first career save, throwing two scoreless innings. Allowing just one hit, Devenski struck out one and induced five weakly hit fly balls in his effort.
The Voyagers won in just two hours and two minutes, the second shortest game they've played this season.
The Voyagers continue their seven-game homestand on Tuesday night. First pitch versus the Ghosts is at 7:00 p.m. with the pre-game show at 6:35 p.m. on 560 KMON.
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Pioneer League Stories from August 23, 2011
- Osprey Score 10 in 3rd, Beat Owlz, 12-6 - Missoula PaddleHeads
- Chukars Leave Win on the Base Paths in 5-3 Loss - Idaho Falls Chukars
- Voyagers Take 5-3 Win - Great Falls Voyagers
- Osprey Held To Five Hits In 5-1 Setback To Owlz - Missoula PaddleHeads
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