MISSOULA — Idaho Falls started the Pioneer League Baseball series on an incredible 13-1 run, including four consecutive wins over Missoula. The Osprey finally found a way to slow down the Chukars in a pitchers’ duel on Tuesday night.
Missoula held on for a 2-1 victory over the first-place visitors at Ogren Park Allegiance Field. Pitchers Dustin Lacaze, Nick Marchese and Mailon Arroyo combined to give up only six hits and collected nine strikeouts against a Chukars squad batting .293 as a team entering the game.
The Osprey broke a stalemate in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dominic Canzone drilled a double off the base of the wall in left-center field. Liover Peguero hustled around to score from first base.
Juan Carlos Negret gave Idaho Falls its only run on a sac fly in the top of the sixth, while Missoula’s Jose Reyes provided the hit that made the difference, driving in Cesar Garcia with a line-drive single to center in the bottom of the seventh to account for the final run.
The Osprey improve to 8-9 with the victory but still trail the 13-2 Chukars by six games in the North Division standings.
The two will play the rubber match of the three-game series at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday. The game will be followed by a fireworks show at Ogren Park Allegiance Field.
