Ghosts jump out early, knock off Osprey, 7-3

CASPER, WYO - The Missoula Osprey jumped out to a 3-0 lead on Wednesday night in the opener of their three-game series at Casper, and the Ghosts rallied to win. So when the host Ghosts scored three runs in the bottom of the first of Thursday's contest here at Mike Lansing Field, the Osprey knew they could come back.

However, Casper had other ideas. Buoyed by solid pitching and a pair of three-run frames, the Ghosts handed the Osprey a 7-3 loss before 1,253 fans.

The Osprey (6-23) bounced back from the rough first inning to score runs in the second and third innings, crawling back to within 3-2 on an RBI triple from Chris Davis and a run-scoring double from Ryne White. However, the Ghosts would score three more runs in the fourth off of Osprey starter Brett Moorhouse (0-2) to take control of the game for good.

The Osprey, who stranded 10 runners on base in the game, could only score once more, on Davis' first professional home run, in the top of the seventh.

Marco Duarte (2-2) pitched a solid six innings to pick up his second win over the Osprey this season. Casper has now beaten Missoula in all six meetings this season, and nine straight times dating back to last season.

The bullpen for the Osprey was also one of the good stories on the night. Pedro Rodriguez and Brandon Burke combined to allow just one run on five hits in 4.2 innings of work.

The Osprey will play the final game of the series against the Ghosts on Friday at 7:05 p.m. Rafael Quezada (2-3) will get the ball for the Osprey, while Ethan Hollingsworth (1-3) will start for the Ghosts.

The Osprey will return home on July 24 to start a five-game homestand. Tickets are available by visiting the Missoula Osprey office at 412 W. Alder St., by calling (406) 543-3300, or by visiting the team's website at www.missoulaosprey.com.