Owlz Win Series-Opening Stunner in Missoula

The Orem Owlz won their fifth straight game on Friday night, scoring two runs in the top of the ninth inning to stun the Missoula Osprey in a 5-3 win. 
Franklin Torres plated the final three runs of the game for Orem with his only two hits of the night, while Stephen Kerr brought home the first two runs of the game with his first home run as a member of the Owlz. 
Elvin Rodriguez started the game for Orem and, as he so often has done, pitched five innings while allowing one earned run. 
The lone run to come home off of Rodriguez scored in the second inning--a solo home run for Gavin Stupienski, giving the Missoula Osprey an early 1-0 lead. 
Out of 10 total starts on the season, Rodriguez has now given the Owlz exactly five innings of work, allowing exactly one earned run seven times. 
He was in line for the win after his fifth inning departure, as Stephen Kerr banged his first home run as a member of the Owlz over the left field fence to give Orem its first lead of the game, 2-1 in the third inning. 
Franklin Torres added to that lead with a bloop single that brought home Manuel Guzman from third base, making the score 3-1 Orem. 
Guzman ended up scoring twice for Orem as part of a 2-4 day at the plate. 
The Osprey tied the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, when two runs came home with Denny Brady pitching. 
After a scoreless sixth inning from Brady, Missoula brought home its second run on a base hit from Joey Rose that scored Gabriel Maciel from second base. 
On the same play, Rose tried advancing to second base on the throw back into the infield. Owlz third baseman Franklin Torres then fired an off-line throw into second base, as it dribbled away from the second baseman Stephen Kerr, rolling into center field and allowing Eduardo Diaz to score for Missoula from first base. 
After that sequence of events tied the score at 3-3, Torres returned to this dish in the ninth inning with a chance to redeem himself. 
With both Keinner Piña and Spencer Griffin singling in the ninth inning for Orem, Franklin Torres came to the plate with the potential go-ahead run at third base, while there were two outs in the top of the ninth inning. 
Torres then drove a base hit up the middle, scoring both of the runners on base and giving the Owlz a fate-sealing 5-3 lead. 
The eighth inning was pitched for the Owlz by Isaac Mattson, earning him his first win as a member of the team. 
Daniel Procopio came in to lock down the Owlz' fifth straight win with a game-ending strikeout of Juan Araujo, while Missoula had the potential tying runs on base. 
That performance earned Procopio his second save of the season, tying him for the team lead. 
The win advances the Owlz to a Pioneer League best record of 34-12-1 on the year, maintaining their lead atop the Pioneer League South with a second half record of 8-1. 
The Owlz will play the second of their three-game series with the Osprey tomorrow night at Ogren Park at Allegiance Field, with first pitch scheduled at 7:05 p.m. MT. 
Coverage begins on the Orem Owlz Baseball Network with the Voice of the Owlz, Steven Cusumano, 15 minutes prior to first pitch.

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