Ogden Raptors score 20 runs in romp, split first 2 in series at Northern Colorado | News, Sports, Jobs

The Ogden Raptors’ four-day, six-game trip to Greeley, Colorado, began with two straight days of lightning-delayed baseball in which the Raptors split the first two games with the Northern Colorado Owlz.

Thursday’s game was supposed to open a doubleheader but the lightning delay caused new plans. The Raptors and Owlz played just one game Thursday and will now close the series with a doubleheader of seven-inning games Friday, starting at 11:30 am, then a regularly scheduled doubleheader starting at 1:05 pm Saturday.

With the team’s new, multi-facility complex in Windsor still under construction, the Owlz are playing home games this season at the University of Northern Colorado.

Between Ogden’s win Thursday and Grand Junction splitting a doubleheader with the Rocky Mountain Vibes, the Raptors currently sit 1 1/2 games ahead of GJ in the South Division with just more than a week remaining in the first half.

RAPTORS 20, OWLZ 7

The Raptors raced to a 16-4 lead after three innings to claim Thursday’s contest.

Jorge Gonzalez got the win in 3 2/3 innings of relief, allowing two earned runs on three hits. While NoCo’s Preston Snavely got the loss by allowing five earned runs in 1 1/3 innings, Ogden lit up Emmanuel Rosario for 11 earned runs on 10 hits in just 1 2/3 innings.

Josh Broughton led Ogden with four hits at the plate, including a double. Reese Alexiades joined Jesus Valdez, Freddy Achecar and Andrew Noviallo with three hits apiece. Alexiades led the team with four RBIs, while Noviello, Brian Dansereau and Dustyn Macaluso each had three.

Ogden went up 7-0 in a second-inning rally that featured an Alexiades two-RBI single. The Raptors scored nine more in the third in a run that began with Macaluso drawing a one-out walk and ended with Macaluso socking a three-run homer. Dansereau and Noviello each had two-run singles in the third.

Alexiades capped his team’s scoring with a triple in the fifth to score Broughton.

OWLZ 5, RAPTORS 4

Wednesday, Ogden missed a chance to extend its lead over Grand Junction, who lost 24-12 to the vibes that night, by dropping a close one to NoCo to open the series.

The Owlz went up 3-0 with a two-run Kevin Higgins homer in the first and an Alex Jackson RBI single in the fourth, knocking out Ogden starter Polo Portela in 3 1/3 innings and ultimately handing him a loss.

Josh Broughton was the only Raptor with two hits. He scored on a Dustyn Macaluso double in the sixth, then Macaluso scored on a Brian Dansereau base hit to cut the deficit to 3-2.

Northern Colorado extended its lead to 5-2 with a sac fly in the sixth and an RBI single in the seventh.

Freddy Achecar got a rally going in the top of the ninth with a base hit. Dakota Conners was hit by a pitch and Pat Adams singled to load the bases.

Broughton drove into Achecar with a sacrifice fly and Conners scored on a pickoff error, making it 5-4 and putting Adams on second base. But Macaluso grounded out and the Owlz escaped with the win.

THURSDAY SCORES

Ogden 20, Northern Colorado 7

Grand Junction 8, Rocky Mountain 3

Rocky Mountain 6, Grand Junction 4

Billings 9, Boise 8 (via Knockout)

Great Falls 6, Idaho Falls 5

Missoula 9, Glacier 3

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS

NORTH DIVISION

Through July 7, ~10 games left in 1st half

Missoula 27-10

Billings 21-15

Great Falls 22-16

Idaho Falls 22-16

Glacier 13-23

SOUTH DIVISION

Ogden 21-17

Grand Junction 20-19

Northern Colorado 15-20

Boise 13-25

Rocky Mountain 12-25

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