Huge Comeback Secures Two-Game Sweep

A day after scoring 11 runs in clinching their playoff spot, the Ogden Raptors took it easy on the Grand Junction Rockies.
Until the ninth.
Ogden, trailing by four runs, plated five in the bottom of the ninth to win, 8-7, and sweep the two-game series.
The winning run came on a fly ball off the bat of Brock Carpenter with one out and the bases loaded. Luis Paz sped across the plate as the throw was dropped at the plate.
Grand Junction scored single runs in the fifth and sixth before a five-run seventh, including a two-run homer by Ramon Marcelino.
Ogden's first run came in the bottom of the fifth. Cristian Gomez, who was hitless in nine at-bats over two games with Ogden in 2017, crushed a double off the bricks of the left-field wall. He moved up a base on a wild pitch, then Jonah Jarrard lined to center for his first RBI on a sacrifice fly.
Gomez doubled again in the seventh and once again advanced on a wild pitch, and with two out Kevin Lachance lined a single over the shortstop's leap and Gomez scored his second run.
Paz blasted his 18^th home run of the season leading off the seventh, a solo shot to left-center field.
The Raptors trailed, 7-3, into the ninth, and Gomez led off with a check-swing double down the right-field line to become the first 2017 Raptor to double three times in a game. Jarrard bounced to short, but the throw skipped by first base and the runners ended up on second and third. Lachance walked to load the bases, and Donovan Casey' bounding ball skipped into center field to plate two runs.
Grand Junction made a pitching change, and the reliever walked Paz to load the bases. Mitchell Hansen followed with a line drive to center on the first pitch to tie the game, and Rylan Bannon took a free pass, his third of the game, to fill the bags.
After a fly out too shallow to bring home Paz, Carpenter punched a fly ball the opposite way. Paz tagged and sprinted toward home, and after the throw got away from the Rockies catcher, Paz slapped the plate for the winning run.
Adalberto Peña turned in a dominant start for the hosts, striking out a season-high eight (tying Ogden's single-game high from a single pitcher) and allowing just one run in four and two-thirds innings. Conor Costello earned the win with a perfect top of the ninth.
Lachance, in addition to his run batted in and run scored, played a huge role on defense. He made a catch of a pop fly in shallow center field to end one inning with a runner in scoring position and ranged far to his right for lunging plays before making strong throws to first at least three other times.
Ogden finishes regular season with playoff tune-ups against the Idaho Falls Chukars on Friday and Saturday. Both games start at 6:30. Friday is the final Free-T Friday, where the first 300 Raptors fans will receive a free Raptors T-shirt.
The Pioneer League South division playoff series starts Sunday at Lindquist Field, with the Raptors hosting the Orem Owlz at 4 pm.