Owlz Bats Break Out as Bales Earns First Win

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Back-to-back bombs and some ninth-inning knocks completed the Owlz best batting performance in a bit, delivering Robby Bales his first professional win as a manager.

Bales started his tenure when this series started. That means he's watched his team score seven runs across three games at Grand Junction (18-13) and suffer its first shutout this season. He's watched them strike out 32 times over those three games.

But Saturday's saw a totally different outcome, and it led to a 10-8 win.

NoCo (13-18) knocked 14 hits, its most in a game since June 15. It strung together scoring across five innings on Saturday, surging for six between the sixth and seventh innings plus its imperative pair of go-ahead runs in the ninth.

Flash back to the fifth for a second, though. The Rockies responded to sac flies from Cameron Phelts and Zach West with a three-spot to give them a 6-2 lead.

That's when the road team took the reins. Ty Lewis looped a single to start the sixth. Consecutive errors helped score one run, and then Euro Diaz drilled a liner to score another. Marshall Rich rounded out that inning with his fifth sac fly of the season. That total now ties for second in the league.

The seventh inning brought the big flies. Phelts fired off the first one, plating two and taking the lead. Crosby crushed the next one five pitches later, and that goner granted the Owlz an 8-6 lead. Each of those hitters now has two taters this season.

Grand Junction knotted things up in the bottom of the eighth, but they were untied after a timely rally. Kevin Higgins doubled to lead off the ninth. Lewis bunted Higgins to third before Phelts found his fourth RBI of the day in a swift single. Diaz doubled and drove in Phelts for the game's final run, ending the Owlz four-game losing streak.

Six Owlz offered multi-hit performances on Saturday. That's compared to just two batters who finished with no hits. Diaz set a personal season-high with three hits while Phelts' four RBI tied the team-best benchmark.

NoCo used six pitchers, its most in a game this season. With one spotless inning, Christian Griffin (W, 2-0) earned the victory. Manny Rosario rocked it in relief for two innings, producing three punch outs in the process.

Preston Snavely started this game for NoCo, but he had to finish it his team's clubhouse. The reserved righty received a late ejection after arguing a strike call during the Owlz turn on offense. Rich, Snavely's battery-mate, was also ejected after arguing a called third strike in the top of the ninth.

Despite those ejections, the Owlz seem to have ejected some negative feeling with a well-deserved dub. Bales' bunch looks to follow it up with an afternoon game on Sunday. First pitch from Suplizio Field is set for 3:35 p.m.