Glacier Vaults Past Voyagers with Seven-Run Sixth

Great Falls, MT. – The Glacier Range Riders (33-46, 16-16 second half) were down by five and struggling to get anything going midway through the game…but then came the sixth inning. All they needed is that one half inning to put them in front of the Great Falls Voyagers (41-38, 14-18 second half) and grab the 7-5 win. The Range Riders have now won nine of their last 11.

It was a rough start for the visiting Riders and Tanner Solomon performed serviceably, but the Voyagers were able to break through on the Glacier starter, plating five runs (four earned) in the five innings of work from Solomon. The defense was able to come up with a huge 6-4-3 double play to help their pitcher get out of a jam in the bottom of the fifth with the score at 5-0 in favor of Great Falls.

Then came the sixth.

It all started with a little luck, when David Kyriacou took advantage of a blunder by the Voyager second baseman to reach first as the leadoff batter. More luck came when Austin Bates was plunked directly after to put two runners on with no outs.

Then came some let off as two straight flyouts seemed to have dried up much of a chance for even one run to come across for Glacier.

Finally, up came the clutch. Dean Miller broke the shutout with a ripped double that brought across Kyriacou. Then, after a Brody Wofford walk, up came Eddie McCabe who skipped a ball up the middle for a single that scored two of his teammates. Ben McConnell followed that up with an RBI knock of his own that drew the Range Riders within one. Mason Dinesen walked to reload the bases, and then came the man who led off the inning in the form of Kyriacou. Two weeks ago, he helped down the Voyagers with a game-winning solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, and tonight, he again broke Great Falls hearts by providing a game-winning play. Kyriacou sent a ball to the right center field gap that allowed McCabe, McConnell, and Dinesen to all chug home turning a one-run deficit into a two-run Glacier lead with the three RBI double.

The bullpen was then called upon to do a little showing off. New Range Rider Mike Biasiello got the first two outs of the bottom of the sixth, before southpaw Drew Holweger came out to get a fielder's choice for out number three in the frame. Holweger handled the Great Falls bats with ease in the seventh and eighth too, with his only baserunner allowed coming via a walk. He retired seven out of the eight Voyagers he saw. Closer Justin Coleman was handed the ball for the save in the ninth and delivered accordingly. With a groundout, strikeout, and a flyout being enough for the Glacier win, and his fifth save of the year.

The Range Riders and Voyagers will meet once more in Great Falls tomorrow, before the series shifts to the Flathead Valley for the weekend.