Malisheski Earns First Win

Entering Wednesday's game, Kevin Malisheski had a 10.00 ERA in six starts.
The righthander stayed strong against a consistent Missoula attack, however, and turned in his best outing to earn a victory as the Ogden Raptors held on late for a 9-8 victory.
Malisheski allowed just one earned run in five and two-third innings, striking out four and walking just one, to help move the Raptors closer to clinching the Pioneer League's first-half South division title.
Ogden's win, combined with an Idaho Falls loss to Helena, put the Raptors five games ahead with six to play. With the tiebreaker in hand, Ogden needs just one win OR Idaho Falls loss to clinch their playoff spot.
At different points, the Raptors held five-run leads over the host Osprey. In the final few frames, though, Missoula came back and threatened.
The hosts picked up a run on a bases-loaded groundout in the seventh to pull within four, but after a walk re-loaded them, Austin Drury induced a lineout to leave them juiced.
Drury faltered in the eighth, allowed a one-out double and three two-out singles to plate three runs, but with the potential tying run on second Hunter Speer entered and shut the door with a strikeout.
The ninth inning was more trouble. Speer walked the leadoff hitter before a fielder's choice retired the lead runner. A single to right, however, put runners on the corners with one out. With another potential tying run just 90 feet away, Speer threw a perfect curveball for a called strike three and got a soft line drive to short to slam the door for his first save.
The Raptors were held down offensively in the hits category for the first few innings, but they took the lead nonetheless.
Chris Roller and Daniel Robinson opened the game with consecutive walks, and with one out Roller scored on an error off the bat of Miguel Vargas.
 In the second, Jeremy Arocho drew a two-out free pass and advanced to second on a wild pitch before a Roller single up the middle brought him around.
A two-out error in the second opened the door for Missoula to tie the game, and another Ogden miscue with two out in the third brought home the go-ahead run for the Osprey.
The Raptors weren't behind very long. With one out and the bases empty in the fourth, Tre Todd, in just his fourth game and seventh at-bat as a professional, launched his first pro hit and home run to right field to knot the game at three apiece.
In the fifth, Ronny Brito and Matt Cogen went back-to-back with solo shots to give Ogden a two-run advantage.
Three more Raptors crossed the plate in the sixth. With two down and the bases empty, Robinson crushed a double to right-center, Dillon Paulson beat out and infield single, Miguel Vargas singled to right to knock in Robinson and Brito drove in two with a double that just missed leaving the yard for his second home run of the game.
In the seventh, James Outman drew a leadoff walk and stole second, allowing him to come home on an Arocho double to left-center field.
The Raptors and Osprey play game two of their three-game series Thursday night at 7:15.