GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Great Falls Voyagers are one win away from a Pioneer League Championship after a 12-9 win over the Grand Junction Rockies in Game 1 of the PLCS on Tuesday.
Ryan Fitzpatrick led the way with two home runs and four RBI for Great Falls.
The Voyagers jumped out to an early lead with five runs in the top of the first inning. Grand Junction added three in the bottom half, before the Voyagers added five more runs in the second inning for a 10-3 lead entering the fifth.
Grand Junction pulled within one run after a five-run third and another run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 10-9, but a Fitzpatrick home run and another run scored off a balk gave Great Falls enough insurance to hold on the rest of the way.
The best-of-three series now shifts to Great Falls, where the Voyagers will have a chance to close out the Rockies at Centene Stadium at 7 p.m. Thursday.
If the Rockies win Game 2, a winner-take-all third game will take place Friday at 7 p.m.
The Voyagers haven’t won a league title since 2011. Great Falls advanced to the championship series in 2017 but fell to the Ogden Raptors in two games.
