Kevin Johnson, Ogden Raptors
Ogden Raptors player Josh Broughton, left, dives into first base as Rocky Mountain Vibes player Mike Annone fields the pickoff throw on Friday, July 15, 2022, at Lindquist Field in Ogden.
The Ogden Raptors showed few signs of hangover Saturday, one night after clinching the Pioneer League South Division first-half championship on Friday.
The Raptors jumped to a 6-2 lead through four innings and held on to defeat the Rocky Mountain Vibes 8-5 in front of 4,240 fans Saturday in the penultimate game of the first half.
The Raptors are now winners in 11 of their last 13 games.
The two teams finish the first half with a game at 2 pm Sunday at Lindquist Field.
Jorge Gonzalez got his first start of the season for Ogden and picked up the win, allowing three runs on eight hits, striking out two and walking one over five innings.
Though Jesus Valdez doubled in Josh Broughton in the first, the Vibes briefly took a 2-1 lead in the top of the second when Ethan Lopez hit an RBI triple and scored when former, longtime Raptors player Nick Michaels singled him in.
Broughton scored Sonny Ulliana on a groundout in the bottom of the second to tie the game and, in the third, Brandon Bohning, playing third base for Ogden, put the Raptors up for good with a single to score Freddy Achecar.
Achecar jumpstarted a three-run fourth by doubling in Reese Alexiades and, after Valdez scored on a wild pitch, Achecar was sent home on an Ulliana double to make it 6-2.
Mike Annone’s solo homer in the sixth got the Vibes as close as 6-4, but Valdez singled in Broughton in the seventh and Brian Dansereau doubled to score Achecar in the eighth.
The Vibes loaded the bases with two outs in the ninth and Jackson Lancaster came on in relief, walking Michaels to push across a run before striking out Joe Encarnacion, representing the go-ahead run, to end the game.
Valdez hit 4 for 5 and drove in two to lead Ogden at the plate. Ulliana was 3 for 5, and Achecar and Bohning each had two hits.
For the Vibes, Lopez hit 5 for 5.
SATURDAY SCORES
Ogden 8, Rocky Mountain 5
Grand Junction 4, Northern Colorado 2
Missoula 8, Great Falls 2
Billings 2, Glacier 1
Idaho Falls at Boise, late
PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS
1 game left in 1st half
NORTH DIVISION
*-Missoula 34-12
Great Falls 27-19
Idaho Falls 25-21
Billings 24-21
Glaciers 17-29
SOUTH DIVISION
*-Ogden 29-18
Grand Junction 25-21
Northern Colorado 16-27
Boise 17-29
Rocky Mountain 14-31
*–clinched 1st half title
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