Raptors Force Deciding Game 3

The Ogden Raptors faced elimination on Sunday night at Orem and came through with a clutch win to extend the season. Ogden needed an extra inning to defeat the Owlz 8-6 and force a deciding Game 3 on Monday night.

Steven Caseres drove in the game winning runs in the top of the tenth inning. With one out, he drove a ball into right field scoring Nick Buss and Travis Vetters.

The winner of the series will advance to the Pioneer League Championship to take on the Great Falls Voyagers on Wednesday night in Montana. Games 2 and 3 of the finals will be in Utah on Friday, and Saturday night if necessary.

Great Falls swept Billings 2-0 to win the North Division crown.

With the game tied at 5-5 in the seventh Dee Gordon lead off with a triple. Then Ogden surprised everybody and laid down a suicide squeeze to take the lead. On a 1-0 pitch to Buss, Gordon came crashing down the third base line and Buss put down a perfect bunt to give the Raptors a lead.

Luis Garcia was asked to close out the last three innings. He worked scoreless seventh and eighth innings, but ran into trouble in the ninth. Beau Brooks, who hit .153 in the regular season, led off with a base hit. A sac bunt advanced pinch runner Rian Kiniry to second base, he then advanced on a fly ball to right field.

The Raptors elected to walk Pioneer League MVP Roberto Lopez intentionally to face Luis Jimenez instead. It didn't work out. Jimenez took the first pitch he saw and singled in the tying run. After another base hit to load the bases Garcia struck out Angel Castillo to send it to extras.

The game featured six lead changes and three ties.

Ogden overcame some defensive lapses to tie up the series, and both teams have been shaky with the glove. The Raptors made five errors in the game and have now committed eight in the series. Orem had two errors on Sunday and have made four in the series.

Orem is the defending champions and have won three of the last four league titles. Ogden is in the playoffs for the first time since 2005.

In the Raptors last postseason appearance they lost in the opening round to Orem 2-1.

On Monday night the Raptors will look for some payback.

Ogden will send the league leader in wins, Jon Dutton (9-2), to the mound. He will square off against Buddy Bosheres (5-0). Both pitchers are left-handed.

The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 at Brent Brown Ballpark in Orem. All the action can be heard live on 1490 KOGN or streaming at ogden-raptors.com.