NoCo's Complete Performance Provides Another Road Win

OGDEN, Utah -- The bats busted things open, the pitching prevailed, the defense delivered, and NoCo claimed another win away from home.

The Owlz (7-7) came into Friday having smoked a season-high 17 hits the night before. Attempting to prevent a repeat performance was Ogden (9-5) starter Gunnar Groen (L, 1-1), who owned a 0.87 ERA entering the game.

Groen grooved a great game for 5.2 innings, one out away from a quality start. He allowed two runs: Brandon Crosby's fourth-inning big fly and Marshall Rich's race home thanks to a wild pitch. By the end of his outing, Groen had struck out seven swingers and the game was tied 2-2.

And then the Owlz took advantage of the ace's absence. Throughout the rest of Friday, the Raptors employed five relievers, and they combined to allow five more Owlz runs.

Jordan Garr got in on that action first, swatting a sac fly in the seventh for his first RBI of the season. By scoring Rich, Garr gave his club its first lead of the night, 3-2.

NoCo collaborated for three more runs in the eighth. Cameron Phelts walked, Crosby reach on an error, and Brian Dansereau wore his second pitch of the night to load the bases with no outs. Then Rich ripped a sac fly, scoring Phelts, before Kevin Higgins stayed hot by hammering a two-run single.   

Dansereau dropped in another RBI single in the ninth, but his team didn't even need that insurance with the way its pitchers performed.

It started with Jerryell Rivera, who was erratic but effective. Despite surrendering seven walks, Rivera allowed only two earned runs. He dodged danger in his first inning, escaping a bases-loaded jam. If not for that, the southpaw's second start this season could've really mirrored his forgettable first one.

Instead, he survived 4.1 innings of four-hit ball, during which he spun one strikeout. As soon as Kyle Adkins (W, 2-0) relieved Rivera in the fifth, he rolled up the Raptors in a double play that ended the inning. Adkins only faced five more batters before Chance Benton came into the game, and if not for a two-out balk in the eighth, Benton would still be the only Owlz pitcher who hasn't allowed a run.

Apparently, a pitcher can't lick his fingers with his feet on the rubber. Who knew?

Gaylan Young made it a moot point by mowing down the final two batters in the ninth, securing consecutive wins in which he's had the last laugh. Remember, Young yakked NoCo's first-ever Knockout Round homer to take down Ogden in extra-time on Thursday.

NoCo's complete night saw some darn good defense too. Now, they did commit three errors in the game, but two of them were way-off pickoff moves by Rivera. The other came on a rangy attempt by Zach West at stopping a hard-hit ball to his right.

Other than that? The Owlz were lights out.

Phelts ran down everything in center field, snagging seven fly balls for putouts. Despite his error, West put up some savvy putouts from his second base spot throughout the night.

Overall, the Owlz put it all together, and it resulted in road win number two in as many games.

Their next crack at a complete performance like this one comes on Saturday night, when first pitch from Lindquist Field is set for 7 p.m.