Ogden Raptors Win First PBL Title Since 2017

After four consecutive seasons of playoff heartbreak, the Ogden Raptors have finally reached the top of the Pioneer Baseball League. With their 7-5 win over the Billings Mustangs on Tuesday night, the Raptors claimed their second-ever PBL Championship, with their other one coming in 2017. Since then, the Raptors had only got as far as losing to Idaho Falls in the Championship Series in 2019. Since the league went independent in 2021, Ogden lost to Boise and Grand Junction in the Divisional Round of both seasons. For manager Kash Beauchamp, this is the second title of his managerial career, with the other coming in 1998 as the manager of the New Jersey Jackals. 

After losing their first game of the Divisional Round 11-0, the Raptors won their final four games of the playoffs and nine of their last 10 games overall including the regular season. They outscored their opponents 26-13 over those last four games. 

As they did in game 1 of the series, Ogden had to play from behind, with Gabe Wurtz opening the scoring with an RBI double in the bottom of the third inning. However, Rafael Narea's strong relay throw cut down Taylor Lomack trying to score a second run on the play, ending the inning. In the top of the fourth inning, the Raptors loaded the bases before Cam Phelts drew a game-tying walk with two outs. Josh Broughton followed with a bases-clearing triple, giving Ogden a 4-1 lead. Landen Barns and Juan Teixeira both chipped in RBI singles in the subsequent innings, extending the lead to 6-1. Billings got a run back when Mitch Moralez was hit by a pitch with bases loaded in the bottom of the sixth inning, but Brayden Bonner struck out Brady West to end the inning. Logan Williams then got that run back for Ogden in the seventh inning with an RBI single. 

The Mustangs didn't go down without a fight, as John Michael Faile blasted a solo home run to trim the deficit in the eighth inning. In the ninth, the Mustangs got two men on with one out before Mikey Edie cut the Ogden lead to two with a two-run single. However, Dan Kubiuk settled down and struck out Lomack and Wurtz to secure the title.