Great Falls, MT-The Voyagers have climbed within four games of first-place after a doubleheader sweep of Idaho Falls, winning 10-3 and 9-7 Sunday night at Centene Stadium.
Great Falls, MT-The Voyagers have climbed within four games of first-place after a doubleheader sweep of Idaho Falls, winning 10-3 and 9-7 Sunday night at Centene Stadium.
Great Falls (9-11) owns a season-best four-game winning streak, and improved to 6-3 at home. Idaho Falls (13-7) lost its sixth game in a row, and now sits at 4-5 on the road. The Voyagers are 3-3 against the Chukars this season.
In game one, Great Falls posted crooked numbers in three separate run-scoring frames. Down 1-0, the Voyagers plated three in the bottom of the second. Lency Delgado led off the frame with a double. Caberea Weaver reached base with a one-out walk. An RBI double by Anderson Comas tied the game. Kleyder Sanchez brought home the second run with a sacrifice fly to left. Comas later scored on a passed ball to make it 3-1. A four-run fourth was highlighted by a Comas' two-run triple. After the Chukars cut the lead to 7-3 in the top of the sixth, the Voyagers scored three times in the home half to finish the scoring. Jakob Goldfarb produced an RBI single. A two-run single from Comas made it 10-3.
Ramon Pineda picked up the win in relief. Pineda (2-0) worked two innings and gave up two earned runs on two hits with two strikeouts and one walk. Cole Watts took the loss. Watts (0-1) lasted three-and-a-third and allowed seven runs (six earned) on seven hits with two strikeouts and two walks. At the plate, Anderson Comas finished a home run shy of the cycle for Great Falls with a career-high five RBIs. Joshua Rivera, Luis Curbelo, and Caberea Weaver all had two-hit games.
In game two, Idaho Falls scored first as well with a single tally in the top of the first. The Voyagers quickly answered with five in the bottom of the inning. Kelvin Maldonado led off with a double up the left field line. After Luis Curbelo walked, Harvin Mendoza cracked a double off the wall in deep right for a 2-1 lead. Luis Mieses made it 3-1 with an RBI single to left-center. Sam Abbott then delivered a two-run home run opposite way for a 5-1 cushion. The homer was Abbott's third of the season. Great Falls extended the lead to 7-1 with two in the second. Joshua Rivera was hit by a pitch leading off the inning. He later scored on a wild pitch. Mendoza brought in the second run with a solo home run smashed to deep right for his third of the season. It traveled 425 feet with an exit velocity of 105 mph. After the Chukars trimmed the lead to 7-6 with five runs in the fourth, Mendoza made it 9-6 with another two-run double in the bottom of the fourth.
Connor Reich posted his first professional win in relief. Reich (1-0) went two-and-a-third and yielded one earned run on two hits with a season-high five strikeouts and no walks. Nathan Webb suffered the loss. Webb (1-2) worked three-and-two-thirds and allowed nine runs (seven earned) on eight hits with four strikeouts and two walks. Pauly Milto posted his first professional save with one hit allowed. Great Falls won despite committing a season-high five errors. Harvin Mendoza went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a homer, and a career-high five RBIs. Kelvin Maldonado had two doubles.
Great Falls wraps up its six-day, seven-game home stand with another doubleheader against Idaho Falls Monday night. First pitch of game one is set for 5 p.m. For season tickets and promotional information, call 406-452-5311 or visit www.gfvoyagers.com.
