Osprey Snap Skid with Comeback Win

MISSOULA, MONT. - Outfielder Eduardo Diaz's third RBI of the night provided the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth inning and lifted the first-place Missoula Osprey (16-17) to a 4-3 win over the Ogden Raptors at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field on Sunday evening.

With right-hander Kai-Wei Lin on the mound, the Osprey fell behind 2-0 in the top of the second when the Raptors capitalized on a Tyler Adkison solo homer and a run-scoring fielder's choice off the bat of Connor Heady.
In the third, Missoula responded for their first run of the night to cut the deficit to 2-1. Designated hitter Francis Martinez rolled a single into the outfield and moved up to second on an infield single by Brandon Leyton. After outfielder William Gorman lined into an unassisted double play by the short stop Moises Perez, Leyton bolted for second on a passed ball by Ogden catcher Luis Paz. With two outs, Eduardo Diaz lined a single into center field to score Leyton and register the first of his three RBI.
Ogden responded two innings later in the fifth when Kevin LaChance singled to score Starling Heredia, who had reached on a double. The RBI-single pushed the Raptor lead to 3-1, where it sat upon Lin's exit. In 4.2 innings, Kai-Wei Lin surrendered three runs (all earned) on seven hits and three walks, while striking out four. Reliever Cole Bartlett finished the fifth, stranding an inherited runner on base and closing Lin's stat line.
Trailing 3-1 in the home half of the sixth, Gorman led off with a walk and then scored on a triple by Diaz, accounting for his second RBI of the evening. With Diaz at third base and the infield pinched to the grass, Osprey third baseman Joey Rose lined a single over the head of short stop Moises Perez, scoring Diaz to tie the game.
With the game freshly tied, the Osprey received a pair of scoreless innings from eventual winning pitcher Jeff Bain, who turned in his best outing as a professional. In two innings of work, Bain tallied a career-high three strikeouts and allowed only one base hit.
Still tied entering the bottom of the eighth, Osprey short stop Brandon Leyton roped a leadoff triple into the right-center field gap, placing the go-ahead run on third base with no men out. The next batter, Eduardo Diaz, picked up his third and final RBI of the night on a hopper that was misplayed by short stop Moises Perez, pushing Missoula to a 4-3 lead. Carlos Bustamante entered in the top of the ninth seeking his second save and closed the game with a perfect ninth.
The win snapped Missoula's four-game losing streak and held them in a first-place tie with the Billings Mustangs, who also won on Sunday.
The Osprey return to action for the opener of a three-game series against the Idaho Falls Chukars at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field on Monday night. First pitch is slated for 7:05 p.m.