Chukars fall short in game two vs Range Riders
The Chukars scored four runs in the sixth inning, en route to an 8-4 defeat at the hands of the Glacier Range Riders on Tuesday night.
Chukars fall short in game two vs Range Riders
Will Vasseur
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho– The Chukars scored four runs in the sixth inning, en route to an 8-4 defeat at the hands of the Glacier Range Riders on Tuesday night.
Idaho Falls came into Tuesday’s game, looking to build momentum as they prepare for the second half of the Pioneer League season.
To do this, the Chukars gave the ball to Tom Walker for his ninth start of the season. In return, the Range Riders turned to Rob Hamby, who brought a 6.50 ERA into the game.
Glacier started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning, thanks to a two-run homerun from Jackson Raper.
The Range Riders added to their lead in the bottom of the second, thanks to an RBI double from Gabe Howell that made it a 3-0 game.
Dean Miller kicked off an explosive bottom of the fifth inning for the Range Riders with an RBI single to score a run. The inning ended after Glacier scored three runs on five hits, to take a 6-0 lead.
The Chukars began to claw back in the top of the sixth inning when they surged for four runs on three hits and an error. The inning was capped off by a Mark Herron Jr. RBI double to score Trevor Halsema and cut the Range Riders' lead to 6-4.
In the eighth inning, Glacier added a pair of insurance runs, before slamming the door in the ninth inning, en route to an 8-4 victory.
A bright spot for Idaho Falls was Walker’s start. Walker entered the game, averaging seven strikeouts per game. On Tuesday, Walker struck out 10 Range Riders, while allowing two walks in his 5.2 innings of work.
Despite Walker’s strong performance, he collected the loss for the Chukars, allowing six runs (five earned) on twelve hits. Hamby gathered the win for the Range Riders, going 5.2 innings, allowing four runs (one earned) on four hits and three walks.
The Chukars will look to bounce back when they return to action at 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday for game three of a six-game set with the Range Riders.