Range Riders drop a pair to Oakland

The Glacier Range Riders had the tying run at the plate, but their rally fell a little short and they dropped their fourth-straight game to the Oakland Ballers 5-2 at Glacier Bank Park in Pioneer League baseball Friday night.  

With two outs in the ninth, an error extended the game before Efrain Manzo singled to bring Gavin Tonkel to the plate with a chance to tie. Tonkel grounded out at first base to end the game, as the Range Riders were held to just five hits total and didn’t score in the last seven innings. 

Xavier Casserilla homered in the first inning for the Range Riders (7-9), his third of the season. Drew Sims and Manzo both drew walks to lead off the second inning, and Sims came around to score on John Mabry’s single. The offense went quiet after that, collecting just one hit until Manzo’s single in the ninth.  

Ethan Paulson started for Oakland (11-5), lasting just 2 1-3 innings, allowing three hits and two earned runs. The combination of James Colyer, Brody Eglite, Carson Lambert, and Connon Sullivan allowed two hits, one walk and no earned runs over the final 6 2-3 innings. 

Grant Taylor started opposite Paulson, pitching six innings with nine hits, five runs all of them earned. Jason Franks, Luke Cooper and Cam Cowan pitched and shut down the Ballers offense over the final three frames, not allowing a run. 

Christian Almanza went 2-for-4 with three RBIs and a homerun to lead the Ballers, his fifth of the season. Dillon Tatum collected two hits and both RBIs on a homerun that gave the Ballers their first lead of the game in the fifth inning.  

Oakland    000    140    000    -    5    11    1 

Glacier    110    000    000    -    2    5    0

Ethan Paulson (3), James Coyler (5), Brody Eglite (7), Carson Lambert (8), Connor Sullivan (9) and Dillon Tatum. Grant Taylor (6), Jason Franks (7), Luke Cooper (8), Cam Cowan (9) and Angel Mendoza. 

OAKLAND BALLERS — Esai Santos 2-4, Lou Helming 1-4, Davis Drewek 1-5, Cam Bufford 1-5, Christain Almanza 2-4, Daniel Harris IV 1-4, Michael O’Hara 0-3, Pat Monteith 0-0, Nick Leehy 1-4, Dillon Tatum2-3. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Kenneth Levari 1-4, Xavier Casserilla 1-4, TJ Clarkson 1-4, Kingston Liniak 0-4, Drew Sims 0-3, Efrain Manzo 1-3, Gavin Tonkel 0-4, John Mabry 1-2, Angel Mendoza 0-3. 

2B — Leehy, Tatum. HR — Almanza (5), Tatum (1), Casserilla (3). RBIs — Almanza 3, Tatum 2, Casserilla, Mabry. 

Thursday 

Oakland 11, Glacier 5

The Range Riders plated four runs in the second inning, highlighted by Antonio Barranca’s 3-run triple, but the Ballers kept mashing hits, collecting 19 on the game to pick up the win Thursday.  

Kingston Liniak doubled, added two other hits and drove in the other run for the Range Riders. Logan Beard went 2-for-4 with a run scored. 

Davis Drewek was a tough out, going 4-for-6 with two RBIs out of the cleanup spot for the Ballers. Cam Bufford homered in the fourth inning, a 2-run shot that extended the Ballers' lead to 7-4.  

Reed Butz earned the win for Oakland, allowing seven hits and five runs; all of them earned across five innings. Conner Richardson, Caleb Franzen and Casson Lambert combined to pitch the final four frames without allowing a run, striking out seven. 

Trevor Baker took the loss for the Range Riders, lasting just 3 2-3 innings allowing nine hits seven runs; four of them earned striking out one. Eldridge Armstrong III didn’t allow a run in his 2 1-3 innings of work, allowing three hits and striking out three. 

Oakland    040    300    202    -    11    19    1 

Glacier    040    010    000    -    5    12    3

Butz (5), Richardson (7), Franzen (8), Lambert (9) and Tyler Lozano.Baker (4), Armstrong III (6), Jacob Hasty (7), Nick Zenga (9) and Antonio Barranca. 

OAKLAND BALLERS — Santos 1-5, Monteith 0-1, Helming 3-6, Drewek 4-6, Bufford 2-5, Daryl Buggs 0-1, Almanza 0-5, Harris IV 1-5, O’Hara 2-4, Lozano 3-5, Leehy 3-3.  

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Levari 1-5, Gabe Howell 1-5, Clarkson 1-5, Liniak 3-5, Casserilla 1-3, Manzo 0-3, Beard 2-4, Tonkel 1-4, Barranca 2-4. 

2B — Drewek 2, Santos, Helming, O’Hara, Lozano. Clarkson, Liniak. 3B — Barranca. HR — Bufford (2). RBIs — Leehy 3, Bufford 2, Drewek 2, Helming, O’Hara, Santos. Barranca 3, Liniak.