Owlz Drop Pitchers Duel in Return Home

GREELEY, Colo. -- Southpaws squared off in Tuesday's old-school pitcher's duel until NoCo's starter saw his stronghold slip away in the sixth.

Alex Smith (L, 0-3) was staring down a quality start. He did allow an opening-inning run, but after that, his four-pitch mix messed with Rockies (8-9) hitters enough to retire 13 of the next 14. That included 10-straight retired leading up to the sixth. 

But a hit batter, two singles, and a three-run bomb brought home four runs before the Owlz (8-9) recorded an out that inning, ending Smith's bid at his squad's second quality start this season. 

Smith allowed another run in an otherwise tidy final two innings, and NoCo couldn't corral enough offense to match Grand Junction's mid-game momentum.

Despite the loss, Smith's start stands as one of the best by a NoCo starter this season. He lasted eight innings, an Owlz season-high. He set his own season high with seven strikeouts on the night.

Noah Parsons pitched the ninth, striking out the first batter he saw before surrendering the final two runs of the game.

On the other side, Ari Kaufman (W, 1-1) conquered enough battles to earn himself a quality start for the first time this year. His shimmering six innings included one walk and eight punchouts, nearly matching the 10 with which he entered the game.

Marshall Rich and Brandon Crosby cracked Kaufman's code to record the team's two RBI from Tuesday. 

Rich's ribbie came with two outs in the second. Grand Junction's Charles Middleton made a diving attempt on Rich's rope to left field, but Middleton missed, and Kevin Higgins high-tailed it home to tie the game at one run apiece. Crosby continued a consistent seven-game stretch to start his Owlz career by knocking in NoCo's final run of the evening. A beautifully executed hit-and-run, where Rich took off for third on the pitch and Crosby placed it perfectly into left center, became Crosby's seventh RBI as an Owl. It was also his second hit of the day, giving him a total of 14 in his seven games here. 

Rich also recorded a two-hit game, his third multi-hit game this year. 

All that action came against Kaufman. The two guys that followed him, Joshua Ibarra and Trevin Reynolds, only allowed two hits between them. Cameron Phelts bunted for a hit against Ibarra to start the eighth and Ty Lewis led off Reynolds' ninth with a single to right field. 

Other than that, the Owlz offered little to combat the Rockies' run production, especially that sixth-inning surge. Although its eight hits only trailed Grand Junction's total by a couple, Tuesday's tussle became just the second game this year a pitching staff held NoCo to no extra-base hits.

The Owlz will look to rebound in the rematch on Wednesday, the second of six-straight games between these two at Jackson Field. Wednesday's first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.