Chukars sweep double header against Grand Junction, ending five game losing streak.

Chukars sweep double header against Grand Junction, ending five game losing streak.

Cordell Dunn Jr. drives in seven RBI’s enroute to a double header sweep over the Grand Junction Jackalopes.

IDAHO FALLS, IDAHO­– The Chukars hosted the Grand Junction Jackalopes for a double header at Melaleuca Field on Wednesday evening.

Game 1 of the double header was a pitcher’s duel that picked up in the bottom of the second inning, after the game was postponed on Tuesday night due to rain.

For the Chukars, relief pitcher Armando Valle took the mound when the game resumed. Valle threw five completing innings, giving up one unearned run on one hit. For Grand Junction reliever Frank Racioppo threw 5.2 innings, giving up three earned runs on 4 hits.

Grand Junction opened the scoring in the fourth inning, after right fielder, Ron Washington Jr. scored from third off of an error committed by Idaho Falls’ shortstop, Sam Troyer. Troyer made up for the error by starting a two-out rally with a single in the bottom of the sixth. Troyer’s single was followed by back-to-back doubles from Mark Herron Jr. and Cordell Dunn Jr, which gave the Chukars a 2-1 lead.

The Chukars received an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh, when Zach May propelled his first homerun of the 2023 season and gave the Chukars a 3-1 lead.

Idaho Falls’ Bryant Bagshaw took to the mound and recorded a six out save enroute to a 3-1 Chukars win. Game 1’s win gave the Chukars their first home win of the 2023 season, while also snapping a five-game losing streak. 

In game two of the double header, both teams’ offenses came out ready to play in the seven-inning affair.

The Chukars opened the scoring in the bottom of the fourth inning, thanks to a three-run homerun from Cordell Dunn Jr. (1^st of the season). The Chukars continued their scoring in the bottom of the first when Trevor Halsema drove in Chris Monroe on a fielder’s choice groundball.

The Jackalopes responded in the bottom of the second inning with eight runs, capped off by a Jacob Cruise RBI double, to give the Jackalopes an 8-4 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, it was the Chukars turn to put up a big inning, as they scored six runs in the inning. The inning included a two RBI double from Cordell Dunn Jr, giving him his fifth RBI if the game, and seventh RBI of the day. At the end of the fourth inning, the Chukars were back on top by a score of 10-8.

The Chukars did not relinquish their lead and cruised to a 12-8 victory, sweeping both games of the double header.

The Chukars will return to action on Thursday evening at Melaleuca field, when they continue their six-game series with the Grand Junction Jackalopes.