(Voyagers media release)
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — The Voyagers scored first Thursday night at Suplizio Field, but a three-homer game and a strong start on the mound secured an 8-2 game two victory for the Rockies.
Great Falls (9-14) fell to 3-10 on the road this season, and has lost eight consecutive road games. Grand Junction (14-11) has won five of its last six games, and improved to 7-6 at home.
The Voyagers used a two-out rally in the top of the first to produce the game’s first run. Harvin Mendoza singled to center and moved into scoring position on a balk. Lency Delgado brought Mendoza home with a line drive RBI single to left-center.
The Rockies changed the course of the game with a four-run third that featured four hits and two home runs. Turner Brown reached based with a one-out single to center. An infield single by Eddy Diaz put two runners on for Jack Yalowitz. Yalowitz then lined a three-run home run over the wall in right for a 3-1 lead. With two outs, Christan Koss made it 4-1 on a solo blast up the right field line that cleared the wall in the corner. It was the first professional homers for both Yalowitz and Koss.
Grand Junction added a single tally in each of the fifth and seventh innings before hitting a third home run in the eighth. Walking Cabrera reached base in the eighth with a one-out walk. The next batter, Yolki Pena, clubbed an opposite field dinger deep to left for an 8-1 lead. It was Pena’s second big fly of the season. Great Falls plated the game’s final run in the ninth with an RBI single to right by Sam Abbott. Lency Delgado scored on the base hit after he reached on a walk.
The three home runs for the Rockies tied a season-high, but was the first time all three homers were hit by different batters. Grand Junction outhit Great Falls 13-to-6. Jack Yalowitz had two doubles in addition to the homer and scored three times. Five Rockies had multi-hit games. For the Voyagers, Lency Delgado reached base twice and drove in a run.
On the mound, Anderson Amarista posted his first win of the season for Grand Junction. Amarista went six innings and gave up one earned run on just three hits with six strikeouts and no walks. Jason Morgan took the loss for the Voyagers. Morgan (0-2) lasted six innings for his longest start to date, and yielded five earned runs on nine hits with two strikeouts and one walk.
Great Falls plays game three of four at Grand Junction Friday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 p.m. The trip also features four games in Colorado Springs against the Rocky Mountain Vibes. Great Falls returns home on July 19th to face Missoula.
