Stroup Smacks Grand Slam in Chukars Win Over Great Falls

IDAHO FALLS, ID - A Dusty Stroup Grand Slam in the third gave the Idaho Falls Chukars (21-15) a lead they would never relinquish, defeating the Great Falls Voyagers (21-15) 9-6 on Tuesday night at Melaleuca Field. The grand slam from Stroup is the third the Chukars have hit this season, the other two have both been hit by Eric Callahan. 

Great Falls took an early lead against Joe Slocum (W, 3-2) in the second. With the bases loaded, Cristopher Guzman cleared the deck with a triple to give the Voyagers a 3-0 lead.

Facing Anthony Becerra-Lopez (L, 2-1), Brendan Hueth reached on an error and swiped second base. Steve Barmakian was hit by a pitch, and Hunter Hisky drew a walk for Stroup who tatered a grand slam to dead center field to go-ahead, 4-3. 

The Chukars added onto their lead in the fourth, on a Barmakian double and a Hisky RBI single to make it 6-3. The timely hitting provided Slocum with solid run support, who worked six innings with one walk and five strikeouts.

Great Falls kept their hopes alive with a two-run homer from Michael Deeb in the sixth that cut into the deficit, 6-5. The Chukars countered in the home half with a two-run frame powered by a Hisky sac fly and an RBI fielder's choice from Brady West that scored Calvin Estrada to give the Chukars a three-run lead, 8-5. 

Keagan McGinnis tossed two scoreless innings out of the bullpen, notching three strikeouts to keep the Voyagers at bay. An important insurance run came across to score for Idaho Falls in the eighth, as Hisky drove in Barmakian for his third RBI of the game to give Idaho Falls a 9-5 advantage.

Nate Jenkins emerged from the bullpen in the ninth to close the game out. He managed the first two outs on a strikeout and a groundout, before giving up a solo homer from Breydon Daniel tht capped the scoring, 9-6. Jenkins recovered to end the game when Jake Malec grounded out to Aldo Buendia. 

The series continues tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 7:05 p.m. The game can be heard on KSPZ The Sports Zone, and viewed on the Idaho Falls Chukars YouTube channel. The Chukars will start RHP Jack Dicenso (2-2, 5.64), and Great Falls' starter is TBD.