Late Raptors Runs Ruin NoCo's Chance at Three-Straight Wins

JOHNSTOWN, Colo. -- Ogden's late-game spurt spoiled Austin Schneider's shove-job and the Owlz shot at a winning streak. 

NoCo (18-27) led this low-scoring affair 2-1 after seven full innings. But after a consequential eighth-inning error, the Raptors (21-24) rattled off four singles that scored three runs. They scored another in top nine to take a 5-2 Wednesday win.

Austin Schneider served as the biggest reason this one was so low-scoring to begin with. He produced his premiere professional pitching performance in what's likely his last appearance of the year. 

By sustaining six full innings of work and striking out seven, the starter set two personal season highs. He allowed five hits and walked just one.

Talk about saving the best for last. 

Plus, the smooth-talking Texan took on pretty much his whole outing with the lead. In the birds' first chance at bat, Cameron Phelts singled with one out. Abdel Guadalupe got hit with a pitch to put two aboard. Tim Bouchard tapped an RBI single into right center, scoring Phelts for the game's first run.

It was the game's only run until the sixth inning. That's when a run-scoring two-bagger became the only blemish on Schneider's evening. A slipping center fielder saw it sail to the fence, and it knotted this one at one run apiece.

But the game stayed tied for literally one pitch. Right after Ogden's game-tying double, Bouchard bulleted the first pitch of bottom six for a solo shot. It sent his team ahead again, 2-1 this time. 

NoCo called on Isaiah Ramos in relief to start the seventh. He pitched to four batters, striking out the first, but he left with the bases loaded.

Then, Kyle Adkins (L, 4-2) appeared. When he did, he faced perhaps his most-high-leverage situation of his 38 outings this season. Bases loaded, one out, one-run lead in the balance.

He escaped it no problem, using just one pitch to induce the double play that ended the seventh. 

But, as you know, it was a much different case in the eighth.

After the Raptors ran out to their lead, five of the Owlz last six outs came via the K. NoCo got caught looking on three of those strikeouts. 

It wasn't all blues for the boys with the bats. Bouchard is up to a 17-game hit streak, still the longest active streak in the Pioneer League. Make it 10 multi-hit games during that stretch after he walloped two hits on Wednesday. On top of that, Bouchard's bomb in the sixth once again ties him for the team lead in home runs. He, Brandon Crosby, and Alex Jackson have all hit 11 homers so far this season.

Kevin Higgins returned to multi-hit form. A pair of pokes puts Higgins at 118 hits on the campaign. It also gives him his 39th game with multiple hits. 

Dakota Popham picked up another base knock, extending his hit streak to seven games. Popham's put up 10 hits in that timeframe, including four doubles and a triple. Wednesday became the first game of the streak in which he didn't record an RBI. 

Phelts and Jackson round out the hooters who hacked a hit on Wednesday. Overall, the Owlz struck out 13 times and drew just two walks. 

The loss ends a four-game winning streak at home. With three games left on the schedule, NoCo can still end its season with a winning streak.

Its first crack at it comes on Thursday. The ever-reliable righty Preston Snavely will take the hill for his hometown team one last time this season. 

First pitch from Nelson Farm Park is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. Get your tickets, all for just $10, and we'll see you at the ballpark on Thursday!