Rocky Mountain Vibes even series with 17-7 rout of Ogden Raptors
Adrian Santa Cruz never quite found his footing during his start on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, as the Rocky Mountain Vibes outpaced the Ogden Raptors 17-7 at UCHealth Park.
The Vibes (18-16) poached four runs from Santa Cruz (1-3) in the very first inning, as the Raptors (17-21) struggled to match Rocky Mountain’s production at the plate all night long. Santa Cruz pitched three complete innings with eight hits, seven earned runs and six strikeouts.
Center fielder Jack Cone (2 for 4) scored on an error and first baseman Connor Bagnieski (4 for 5) singled home another run in the third; Infielder Nick Ultsch tacked on a two-RBI double in the fourth and the Raptors briefly stared down a three-run climb.
Down 8-4 by the fifth, Brett Carson (4 for 6) opened the floodgates for the Vibes with a two-run home run.
Ogden – enduring seven more runs after Carson’s slam – managed just three more runs the rest of the way, including a sacrifice grounder hit by second baseman Cole Jordan (1 for 5) to trim Rocky Mountain’s lead to 10 runs.
Both teams continue their six-game series on Thursday at UCHealth Park. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.