The Grand Junction Rockies piled up eight runs in the first inning against Ogden starter Christian Day and made it stand up in an 8-5 victory Wednesday over the Raptors at Suplizio Field.
Normally a stalwart starter, Day took the mound with a 2-0 lead on the road but lasted just 2/3 of an inning, allowing eight runs on seven hits, six of them earned. Jordan Fitzpatrick hit a three-run homer and Casey Petersen a solo shot as part of the onslaught for the home team.
Ogden’s 2-0 lead came on an RBI single from Jesus Valdez and a run-scoring double from Brian Dansereau. The Raptors left runners on second and third to end the top of the first.
Trailing 8-2, Ogden outfielder Pat Adams hit a two-run homer in the second to cut it to 8-4. In the third, Brian Dansereau singled into Reese Alexiades for an 8-5 tally with six innings left to keep chipping away, but that finished the scoring for the night.
Ogden pitchers allowed only two hits to Grand Junction hitters over the final 7 1/3 innings, but the eight-spot scored against Day was too much. Jorge Gonzalez gave up two hits in 4 1/3 relief innings of Day, striking out four and issuing the only walk by an Ogden pitcher.
Chase Stratton (1 2/3), Brandon McCabe (1/3) and Jackson Lancaster combined to throw a perfect final three innings, allowing no hits, striking out six and walking zero. Ogden pitchers struck out 12 batters.
Lancaster’s 1-2-3 eighth inning included two strikeouts and continued his dominant season as a closer. Lancaster has thrown 14 1/3 innings since joining the team in mid-June. He has a 0.00 ERA, allowing one unearned run, five hits and eight walks while striking out a whopping 25 batters.
The Raptors scored their five runs against GJ starter Josh Agnew and similarly hit an offensive drought for most of the game. Roberto Baldenbro got the win for the Rockies, following Agnew with three scoreless innings of one-hit ball. Ogden totaled just two hits in the final 6 1/3 innings.
The same two teams play again at 6:35 pm Thursday.
WEDNESDAY SCORES
8 Grand Junction, 5 Ogden
Rocky Mountain 9, Northern Colorado 8
10 Idaho Falls, 8 Boise
Billings 6, Glacier 0
Great Falls 9, Missoula 8 (via Knockout)
PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS
second half
NORTH DIVISION
Idaho Falls 9-5 (37-25 overall)
*Missoula 8-6 (43-18)
Great Falls 8-6 (35-26)
Billings 7-7 (32-28)
Glacier 4-10 (21-40)
SOUTH DIVISION
Grand Junction 11-3 (37-25)
Northern Colorado 7-6 (24-34)
*Ogden 7-7 (36-26)
Rocky Mountain 5-8 (21-38)
Boise 3-11 (20-42)
*- denotes first-half champion
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