Owlz' Romine hits for the cycle

The 21-year-old shortstop hit for the cycle and matched a career high with five RBIs as Orem coasted to an 11-2 rout of Ogden in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Romine ripped an RBI double and scored in the first inning and smacked a two-run triple in the second. He belted a solo homer, his fifth, in the fourth and grounded out in the sixth before delivering a run-scoring single in the eighth.

"You usually don't expect [a single] to be the last one," said Romine, who also had five RBIs against Casper on July 9. "Everyone was joking in the dugout, 'You need a measly little single.'"

Romine, whose father, Kevin, played for the Boston Red Sox from 1985-91, is gearing up for Orem's best-of-3 first-round Pioneer League playoff series with Idaho Falls, which begins Saturday.

"I've been working on getting through the ball a little bit more," he said. "No drastic changes in the swing or stance."

Donato Giovanatto hit a solo shot, his ninth, in the eighth and Jerry Gonzalez-Lopez and Deandre Miller both scored twice for the Owlz (20-18).

Orem starter Esmerlin Jimenez (5-2) allowed a run on three hits and a walk with three strikeouts in six innings.

Erik Kanaby drove in a run and Matthew Wallach had two hits for the Raptors (17-21).

Ogden starter Rodney Brantley (2-2) gave up six runs on eight hits and a walk with two strikeouts in two innings.