Owlz Score in Spurts to Secure Season's First Streak

GREELEY, Colo. -- For the second time this series, the Owlz throttled third-inning pitching, thrusting themselves into position for a third-straight win. 

By winning 11-6, NoCo (3-5) is streaking, and after seven-straight losses, Rocky Mountain (1-8) is sliding. 

Even so, this one was definitely the series' closest game yet. The Vibes scored immediately when Gio Diaz came around after leading off the game with a single. It's actually the second night in a row he's done that exact thing. Rocky Mountain put up a pair in both the third and fourth innings and got within a run by scoring another in the fifth.

But that's as close as it got. It's been tough sledding for Vibes pitchers this series, and on Friday, they got caught in another avalanche. 

Yet another early-game eruption for the Owlz had a lot to do with it. For the sixth time in eight games, they scored at least four runs in one of the first three innings. NoCo's compiled 40 runs in the first third of a game, and that's out of 65 runs in all.

On Friday, it was a five-run third that did the trick. Zach West kicked things off with a triple, his first extra-base hit as an Owl. An Alex Jackson singled scored West, and Cameron Phelts followed up with a four-bagger to give NoCo a lead it never relinquished. The eyes of Euro Diaz and Ty Lewis worked walks before Mike Annone's two-RBI double finished off the five-spot that put his club ahead 6-3. 

In the seventh, the Owlz added four more for good measure. Alan Alonso and Marshall Rich each etched a base knock before Annone knocked Alonso in with a single of his own. Then, Brian Dansereau drilled the dagger. The Georgian jerked his third triple this season, all of which have come during this homestand. It went for two RBI and capped the Owlz scoring for the evening. 

And a tip of the cap to Tanner Schoeninger (W, 1-0), who earned the first win by a NoCo starter this season. The Fort Collins kid contained Rocky Mountain to the tune of four earned runs on eight hits, and he struck out five batters compared to just one walk. In his first appearance as an Owl, Schoeninger's 5.0 innings pitched matched the season-high for any starter so far this season.

After the hometown hurler hopped off the hill, a committee of relievers finished the job. Chance Benton, Kyle Adkins, Noah Parsons, and Gaylan Young each pitched one pristine inning. Between them, they allowed a single hit and two walks, also striking out two Vibes batters.

As far as NoCo's batters go, four of them poked a pair of hits. Annone and Phelts both banked three RBI, Alex Jackson went 2-for-4 with two runs scored, and Euro Diaz now owns a six-game hit streak. 

Diaz's next chance to make it seven comes on Saturday, when NoCo can secure its first series win this season. Game four of this six game series from Jackson Field is schedule for Saturday at 4:05 p.m.