Pioneer Baseball League: Great Falls Voyagers win 4 straight against Idaho Falls Chukars
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — The race for the first half pennant in the North Division of the Pioneer Baseball League isn't over yet.
Not by a longshot, even though the task the Great Falls Voyagers have in front of them will be daunting, at best.
The Voyagers got two homers from Jake Malec, a solo shot from Adam Oviedo, and six strong innings out of Tyler Naumann to earn their fourth straight victory, a 9-3 rout over the Idaho Falls Chukars Sunday afternoon at Melaleuca Field.
Tuesday, the Voyagers and division-leading Missoula Paddleheads will open a six-game set at Centene Stadium. The Paddleheads lead the Voyagers by six games with six games left on the schedule in the first half of the PBL season.
The Paddleheads defeated the Glacier Range Riders 22-14 Sunday afternoon at Allegience Field at Ogren Park in Missoula, and current boasts the league's best record at 31-10. Great Falls is now 25 up and 16 down, the only team within an arm's reach of the Garden City club ... and only by a fingernail. So, it's easy to figure out: it's win or 'wait 'til the next half' for Great Falls. They have to win all six games. Nothing less will do.
Malec, who went 4-for-5 for the second straight night and collected three RBI, singled home the second of two third-inning runs for Great Falls, then followed up Oviedo's fifth-inning solo blast one out later with the first of his two circuit clouts, also a solo dinger. His second big fly on the day came in the seventh to put the Voyagers up 5-3.
Oviedo was 2-for-4 and drove in three, while Breydon Daniel had a sacrifice fly in the first and doubled home two more in a four-run eighth. Oviedo preceded Daniel's two-bagger with a two-run safety.
Jose Reyes drove in all three runs for Idaho Falls with an RBI triple in the fourth and a two-run dinger in the sixth.
Naumann earned his first win against three losses despite giving up three earned on six hits, with two walks and seven Ks in six innings. Josh Gainer, Brad Demco and Montana Quigley worked an inning apiece, Demco allowing two hits in the eighth but no other damage, and each hurler fanning one batter.
Joe Slocum (3-3) also worked six complete and gave up four earned on seven hits and a walk, and gave up both fifth-innings jacks to Oviedo and Malec. Reliever Keegan McGinnis didn't far much better: two innings, five earned runs, five hits and three bases on balls.
First pitch for Tuesday's homestand opener is 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Great Falls Tribune: Great Falls Voyagers win 4 straight vs Idaho Falls Chukars
