A record-setting crowd for a Sunday of 3,194 fans showed up at Ogren-Allegiance Park just one afternoon after the team snapped a franchise-record, 10-game losing streak. The extra cheers weren't enough to add up to a win however, as the Idaho Falls Chukars hung 15 hits over the course of the sun-filled afternoon to take a 4-2 Pioneer League victory over Missoula.
Despite the overflow of hits, the Chukars struggled to send their runners home throughout the contest, which featured the last-place teams in the league's Northern and Southern divisions. Idaho Falls finished the game with 16 runners left on base, ultimately leaving the door open for the Osprey throughout the competition.
Sporting a 2-0 count, White finally found his pitch and sent a low-flying home run just over the right field fence.
“I've been struggling as of late, so I was looking for a good pitch to hit,” said White, who is hitting at a .293 clip this season. “I got myself in a good count and I was just looking for a fastball inside and he threw it ... and I just put a good swing on it.”
The two-run shot was just the Osprey's third hit on the afternoon, but it was enough to put the team within two runs of Idaho Falls with a third of a game to go.
The Chukars, though, weren't willing to budge much from there. The Osprey received one more hit down the stretch by Victor Estevez, who hustled his way to first off a high bouncing ball to the second baseman in the top of the eighth.
Three pitches later, however, Estevez became the second Missoula runner to get picked off at first and the Osprey were ultimately held off the bases the rest of the way.
Missoula's other two hits in the game were both singles, delivered by designated hitter Nelson Gomez, who upped his batting average to .230, and center fielder Alberto Diaz, who has a .217 average.
Three Idaho Falls pitchers combined for the two-run, four-hit outing.
Bryan Casey, who is sporting a 1.95 earned run average, held Missoula to just a pair of hits in the opening four innings before being relieved by Carver in the fifth.
The Chukars' slugfest was highlighted by leadoff hitter Patrick Norris and Sean McCauley, who batted in the five spot. The Idaho Falls duo had three hits apiece, while Antonio Jimenez, Neder Severino and Devery Van De Keere each followed with two hits apiece. Van De Keere doubled to right-center field in the top of the seventh for the team's lone extra-base hit.
The Osprey fell to 5-21 with the loss, while Idaho Falls improved to 10-16. The two teams head for the rubber match Monday night at Ogren-Allegiance Park.
Osprey manager Audo Vicente will look to pull his struggling squad together and remains optimistic about the remainder of the season.
“I'm 100 percent sure of the rest of my team and you know I believe in my guys,” Vicente said. “I'm 100 percent sure we have the talent to be by far much better. I know the guys are going to be good.”
IDAHO FALLS MISSOULA
ab r h bi ab r h bi
Norris cf 4 1 3 1 Elmore 2b 2 0 0 0
Alfaro ss 5 0 0 0 Estevez 3b 4 0 1 0
Griffin dh 3 0 1 1 Navarro ss 3 1 0 0
Perez 2b 4 0 1 0 White 1b 4 1 1 2
McCauley c 5 1 3 0 Gomez dh 4 0 1 0
Jimenez 2b 5 0 2 0 Diaz cf 4 0 1 0
Testa lf 5 1 1 0 Stone lf 3 0 0 0
VanD Keere 1b 5 0 2 0 Perez c 1 0 0 0
Severino rf 4 1 2 0 Asencio rf 3 0 0 0
Totals 40 4 15 4 Totals 28 2 4 2
Idaho Falls 110 020 000 - 4
Missoula 000 002 000 - 2
E-Navarro, Diaz, Estevez. DP- Idaho Falls 1, Missoula 1. LOB-Idaho Falls 16, Missoula 4. 2B-Van De Keere. HR-White SB-Estevez, Elmore. SF-Norris.
IP H R ER BB SO
Idaho Falls
Casey 4.0 2 0 0 1 4
Carver W, 2-0 2.0 1 2 2 2 3
Huber S, 2 3.0 1 0 0 1 3
Missoula
Reynolds L, 0-2 4.1 8 4 3 2 2
Sosa 3.2 6 0 0 2 0
Orosco 1.0 1 0 0 0 0
WP-Casey, Carver, Reynolds.
Umpires-Ian Fazio, home; Dustin Tibbitts, first.
T-2:41.
A-3,194
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