Game 93: Boise breaks playoff drought with overpowering victory 

Boise, ID - In their final regular season game at home in 2021 the Boise Hawks (27-18) not only defeated the Grand Junction Rockies (24-21) but also clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2014 thanks to a 7-3 victory on Monday afternoon at Memorial Stadium.

Jason Dicochea got the party started for Boise with his two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the third, a missile over the right field fence that just had enough height to clear the wall and put the Hawks ahead 2-0.

Boise would pad their lead the very next inning, scoring Pat Adams on an Hidekel Gonzalez sacrifice fly, and a Tyler Jorgensen two-out RBI single.

After Grand Junction made it 4-1 in the fifth, Boise responded with more two-out runs courtesy of Tyler Jorgensen when he went deep to right-center in the sixth to add to the advantage at 6-1.

Mitch Lines would be the star of the game for the Boise Hawks, taking a no-hitter into the fifth inning.

Lines would lose his no-no bid in the fifth but still finished with a masterful performance, giving up just two hits over six innings and allowing just one run.

Dicochea would end the night offensively for the Hawks by picking up his third RBI on the night driving a ball over the head of Rockies center fielder, Jose Gutierrez, to give the Hawks their seventh run of the night.

It was again Dicochea who started the real celebration, scooping up a ground ball off the bat of Nate Scantlin for the final out which sent the jubilant Hawks out onto the field, creating a mosh pit around Conner Dand on who got the final four outs for Boise.

Both Dicochea and Jorgensen finished their nights with three hits and three RBIs, driving in six of Boise’s seven runs.

With the victory, Boise guaranteed themselves at least a share of the PBL South Second Half Division Title, and can win it outright with a single victory against Ogden over their final three games of the regular season.

The Hawks will begin their final regular season series on Wednesday at Lindquist Field in Ogden, Utah, playing three games against the Raptors to finish off the year, before playing a one game playoff against those same Raptors on September 11th with the winner advancing to the Pioneer Baseball League Championship Series beginning on Monday September 13th.

First pitch Wednesday night is scheduled for 6:30, with both teams yet to announce their rotation for the upcoming series.