Roller Homers Twice As Raptors Clinch First Half Title Tie

At the outset of play Thursday night, the Ogden Raptors need just a win or an Idaho Falls loss to clinch a tie for the first-half Pioneer League South division title.
While the Chukars made a comeback in the ninth inning to negate that end of the formula, the Raptors cruised to a 9-4 victory over the Missoula Osprey to ensure the Chukars couldn't pass Ogden at the end of the first half.
Five runs scored in two long innings to begin the game, and Chris Roller put his stamp on the night with a pair of solo home runs from the ninth spot in the order as the night went on to comeback-proof the Raptors lead.
With one out in the first, Drew Avans drew a walk, Miguel Vargas singled to right and Niko Hulsizer walked to load the bases. After a strikeout, Dillon Paulson took a walk to force in a run and force a Missoula pitching change. Against the new pitcher, Daniel Robinson drew a four-pitch free pass to knock in another run.
In the second, Roller was hit by a pitch and stole second. With two out, Vargas singled up the middle to drive him in. Hulsizer then ripped a double off the left field fence, bringing up Ronny Brito. It appeared Brito flied out to center to end the inning, but the umpires had called a balk and the result was erased. Brito was still at the plate as Vargas trotted home and Hulsizer went to third. Brito then lined up the middle to score Hulsizer for a 5-0 lead.
The Raptors loaded the bases with no one out in the third but didn't score, and they stranded one in the fourth. In the fifth, Roller led off with a 407 foot blast to left, his third homer of the year. He did it again with one out in the seventh, going 376 feet to left-center to become the second Raptors hitter to homer twice in one game (the first was Drew Avans, who also did it against Missoula on July 11 at Lindquist Field).
Another run scored in the eighth, as Paulson doubled down the left field line before coming around on a Ramon Rodriguez single.
The lead was well in hand when Missoula put up four in the bottom of the eighth to cut the advantage in half to make it 8-4.
 In the ninth, Avans and Vargas both singled and another balk was called with Brito at the plate to allow Avans to score.
Caleb Sampen was dominant for a second start in a row, allowing three hits (two on the infield) over three innings. Mark Washington then pitched three scoreless, allowing just a triple with two out in the fifth, and Orlandy Navarro struck out one in a scoreless seventh. Luis Pasen came in after the trouble in the eighth to finish the frame, and he struck out a pair in a perfect ninth.
Ogden completes their three-game series at Missoula, and the season series, Friday night at 7:15.