Raptors Fall Short in Finale

On the verge of their first four-game road sweep since at least 2005, the Ogden Raptors received an excellent start from Edwin Uceta and a two-run second inning by the bats, but the normally-stingy relief corps couldn't hold the lead as Missoula came back for a 4-3 win Sunday evening.
The Raptors won the first three games of the series in Montana with a combination of timely hits and shutdown relief pitching, but the momentum tapered off after a second inning in which Tyler Adkison launched his first professional home run and Kevin LaChance singled, stole second and went to third on an error, and Connor Heady brought him in with a fielder's choice.
Uceta was brilliant in his longest start of the year, only facing trouble in the third. After setting down the first six Osprey hitters in order, Uceta allowed two singles to open the third inning in the form of a grounder through the shift and a slow roller on the infield. A line drive double play put him on the edge of escaping the frame unscathed, but a passed ball followed by a line drive single plated Missoula's first run. Uceta exited after five innings with five strikeouts, no walks, three hits allowed and just the single unearned run while facing two batters over the minimum.
In the fifth, Ogden added to their lead when Starling Heredia opened with a double that kicked up chalk down the right field line. With two out and Heredia on third base, LaChance used his speed to beat out a high bouncer on the infield. Heredia scored for a 3-1 advantage.
 Missoula tied the score in the sixth when reliever Austin Hamilton walked the leadoff batter and allowed a triple, then with one out and the infield playing in a line drive snuck over the head of shortstop Moises Perez for the second run.
A leadoff triple in the bottom of the eighth against Matt Jones was the undoing for Ogden, as leadoff hitter Eduardo Diaz then hit a ground ball that Perez couldn't handle and the go-ahead run crossed the plate.
Before the game ended, the Raptors were eliminated from the Pioneer League South division first-half championship chase, as Orem clinched the title for the fourth-straight year with a win over Great Falls. The second-half championship and playoff spot will be up for grabs starting Saturday.
Ogden travels to Helena to face the Brewers for three games starting Monday. The Raptors return home Thursday for a four-game set against Grand Junction.