Raptors Escape in Marathon at Orem

After a seven-run Ogden Raptors second inning, it seemed the outcome wasn't in doubt.
In the bottom of the ninth, that feeling changed as the Orem Owlz brought the tying run to the plate.
However, Raptors starting first baseman Luis Paz took the mound for the second day in a row and retired two hitters to end the game and record his first professional save in a 17-14 Raptors victory.
Ogden, traveling to the Home of the Owlz after a 5-2 homestand ended with a blowout loss to Great Falls, rapped five hits and took three walks in the second to knock out Owlz righty Cole Duensing. The first of Donovan Casey's four hits opened the frame, and Garrett Hope's first of three walks on the night moved Casey to second. With one out, Connor Heady lined a single to center to load the bases before a wild pitch brought Casey across the plate.
Eric Peterson capitalized with two runners remaining on base, crushing a triple to the base of the fence in center field to make the score 3-0. When Brayan Morales lifted a sacrifice fly to right to score Peterson, it appeared the Raptors rally would end at four runs. But Paz drew a two-out, bases-empty walk and Romer Cuadrado hit a soaring drive that scraped the back of the left-center field fence for a two-run homer. After a pitching chance, Mitchell Hansen had the green light on a 3-0 pitch and launched his first homer with Ogden in 2017 over the right field fence.
After an Orem solo shot in the bottom half of the second, Heady took a one-out walk in the third and sprinted around the bases on a Peterson double to get the run back. Paz later singled to right to score Peterson.
With the score 9-2 in the top of the fourth, Hansen took a leadoff walk, advanced on a Casey hit and scored when Gersel Pitre grounded slowly to shortstop with the bases loaded.
Ogden added another run in the sixth when Casey's double was followed later by a Connor Heady single to increase Ogden's lead to 11-2.
The host Owlz had taken another run back by the time Hansen led off the eighth. Mitchell hammered a 2-1 offering well over the right-field fence, his second blast of the game and measured at an astonishing 487 feet. Later in the frame, Heady hit a double to score Casey.
With a 13-3 lead entering the home half of the eighth, everyone thought the Raptors would cruise to a victory. The Pioneer League-leading Owlz didn't give up, though. They found holes for four runs that inning and trailed by six.
Orem put a position player on the mound for the ninth, not expecting to make a full comeback. The Raptors went to town against Stephen Kerr, who had started the game at third base, with another four runs on five hits, including Cuadrado's second round tripper of the game.
Ogden led, 17-7, going to the bottom of the ninth but struggled to record the outs they needed. Two of the first three batters walked, and a single loaded the bases. A four-pitch free pass forced in a run, followed by an error on the infield to score another. An Owlz single and two more bases-loaded walks brought the score to 17-11. A single scored two, and with two on and one out the potential tying run stepped to the plate.
That's when Raptors manager Mark Kertenian made the non-traditional move of bringing Paz to the mound. Paz had induced a double play from the only hitter he faced on Thursday to end the eighth inning, so the Raptors braintrust hoped the same would happen.
It wasn't a twin killing, but Paz got Matt McCann to pop up for the first out and fired a looping curveball to catch Kerr looking in a full count to end the game.
Ogden's win pulled them one game back of the Owlz for first place in the South division second-half standings. The Raptors and Owlz were scheduled to take the field again Saturday night in Orem for the second of four-consecutive games between the teams.