Vibes Beat Raptors, Set Sights on 2nd Half Playoff Run
By Tyler Petersen
OGDEN, Utah – Rocky Mountain got a complete game from their offense, pitching, and defense as they won the final game of the first half over Ogden 14-4.
The game got off to a busy start as Ulysses Cantu unloaded his team-leading eighth home run of the season for a quick 1-0 lead.
Then in the bottom of the first, a Pioneer League first this year. With no outs and runners at first and second, Reese Alexiades grounded to short to begin a routine double play. The runner who took off from second on the ball never stopped running and tried to take home on the play. By the time the double play was completed, first baseman Mike Annone threw to Luis Navarro at home who applied the tag just in time. A 6-4-3-2 triple play to end the inning.
More runs came quickly. Cantu doubled up the number of runs he drove in in his previous at-bat with a two-run single in the second. Navarro had an RBI single as well, with another run coming in on his hit via an Ogden throwing error. In the third, Brandon Perez hit an RBI single of his own, making the score 6-1.
Greyson Fletcher pitched well, picking up his first professional win. His only real blemish was in the bottom of the fifth, when he allowed a three-run home run to Alexiades. But he got through five for the first time this year and his offense did the rest.
The Vibes scored the next and final eight runs of the ballgame. Three runners crossed home in the seventh – on a wild pitch, an RBI from Ethan Lopez, and a sac fly from Andrew Hanson. The next inning saw five more – Lopez again with an RBI single, Nick Michaels with an RBI double, and Hanson again, who this time cracked a three-run double.
Rocky Mountain got 3.1 hitless relief innings from Felipe Rodriguez and Pedro Alfonseca and the final game of the first half was in the books.
The Vibes finish with a record of 15-31, an improvement on last year's first half record by four wins. But really the record that should be focused on is the one this current iteration of the Vibes has since June 21 – they are 11-12.
---
How the Vibes Make the Playoffs
This is how the second half 48-game schedule looks:
3 vs Owlz
3 @ Owlz
6 @ Rockies
6 vs Owlz
6 @ Raptors
6 @ Rockies
6 vs Raptors
3 @ Owlz
3 vs Owlz
3 @ Rockies
3 vs Rockies
So altogether it's 18 games against both Grand Junction and Northern Colorado and 12 games against Ogden. An all intra-division schedule means opportunity is ripe for major shifts in the standings every night.
What's the path to success for Rocky Mountain? How can they go from perennial 10th-placers to potential champion?
Well, it's more of the same.
The Vibes post June 20 record against these three teams are as follows: NoCo – 4-1, GJR – 3-3, Ogden – 2-4. If we take these results and stretch them out so that the Vibes win 80% against the Owlz, 50% against the Rockies, and 33% from the Raptors… they would have a second half record of 27-21, putting them right in the mix for a division championship.
Conjecture and speculation will not be enough to actually get to the finish line (or usurp the Missoula Paddleheads for that matter) but the numbers show that the Vibes are indeed on the path to playoff contention.
Game one of the second half is on Tuesday, the first of three at home against the Northern Colorado Owlz.
