Ogden Outduels Owlz in Wednesday's Slugfest

OGDEN, Utah -- The Raptors returned every NoCo blow to win Wednesday's puncher's duel, delivering the decisive strike with a seven-run fourth inning to down the Owlz again.

Alex Smith (L, 0-2) started his third start for NoCo (5-7) with a lead. Alex Jackson smacked a single on the first pitch of the game, extending his hit streak to a team-high nine games. He moved up on Cameron Phelts' infield hit and eventually scored on Brandon Crosby's RBI groundout.

So the Owlz led 1-0, but from the second inning on, they barely led again. Ogden (9-3) responded with a Jesus Valdez dinger that brought in two runs. An inning later, Crosby cracked an RBI double, tying the game and giving the shortstop his first extra-base knock in NoCo. But the home team utilized some small ball to plate another pair, and the Owlz fell behind again.

They went ahead once more, in the third inning. Kevin Higgins hacked an up-the-middle single for, at that point, his fifth RBI in his last three games. And then Jackson attacked again by tattooing a triple, his first this season. That laser landed two more rib-shots, and his club led 5-4.

But the Raptors rolled with the punches, countering with this fight's run-happy fourth round.

Ogden's Dakota Conners conked a leadoff double off Smith. He bounced around the bases before Josh Broughton brought him in with an RBI fielder's choice. The Raptors regained the lead after Freddy Achecar contributed a run-scoring single the next at-bat. A couple two-out walks followed, which loaded the bases. Sonny Ulliana slugged one straight from the shoulder to unload them, socking a grand slam and giving Ogden an 11-5 advantage.

Higgins headed a potential comeback effort by bashing a bases-clearing double in the fifth inning. That jack tacked on three more runs and gave the mashing Massachusettsan four RBI, tying the highest RBI total for any Owl in a game this season.

Despite the quick three-spot, NoCo needed three more runs it never got. Two Raptors relievers retired the final 13 batters they faced and the Owlz succumbed 11-8 in this slugfest.

Smith surrendered 11 earned runs, but the southpaw's six strikeouts set his season high. Ogden got the leadoff batter on base in every inning he pitched, and in the end, just a couple big swings spoiled Smith's longest start.

Overall, the Raptors went 6-for-15 with runners on base. But Noco's relief duo, Chance Benton and Noah Parsons, didn't allow many baserunners. Between them, they gave up one hit, walked two, and struck out five.

Offensively, the Owlz notched nine hits for the second night in a row. Jackson, Phelts, Crosby, and Higgins each etched two of them. Zach West was the only other Owlz batter to boast a hit, and with his fourth-inning flick into right field, he's now recorded at least one in five of his seven games with NoCo.

These two teams get in the ring again Thursday night for the third game of this series. First pitch from Lindquist Field is set for 7 p.m.