SPORTS

Voyagers top Brewers

Steve Schreck
sschreck@greatfallstribune.com

The Great Falls Voyagers have the Helena Brewers’ number.

The Voyagers — on the right end in seven of their eight meetings with the Brewers leading up their game Friday, including six in a row and all five games played at Centene Stadium — scored seven runs in the bottom of the eighth inning to notch a come-from-behind victory over the Brewers on Friday night, 7-4, extending their streak to seven straight.

Great Falls, which improved its record to .500 at 20-20 and 3-1 in the second-half, took the first game of the series on Thursday, 4-1.

In front of 1,264 fans at Centene, Great Falls lefty Tanner Banks threw the first pitch, but he only went two innings because of his scheduled start in Tuesday’s Pioneer-Northwest League All-Star Game in Spokane. In 35 pitches, he fanned a batter and allowed two hits as his defense behind him struggled to three errors. Braulio Ortiz, the 6-foot-5 righty from the Dominican Republic, took over for Banks in the top of the third. Ryan Hinchley, who came in for the final two innings, earned the win.

A two-run shot to left by Brewer (17-23) first baseman Troy Stokes – ruled fair by home plate umpire Mike Rains – in the top of the sixth gave Helena a 2-0 advantage. Voyager pitcher Mike Gomez then walked ensuing batter Carlos Belonis, and Jose Cuas followed with a two-run home run of his own as Helena took a 4-0 lead to the bottom of the sixth. Both HRs were with two outs.

A Jake Jarvis RBI groundout in the bottom of the eighth scored catcher Joxelier Garcia from third for the Voyagers’ first run of the game, and a wild pitch scored Grant Massey from third to make it 4-2. Antonio Rodriguez followed with a rocket off the wall in left-center, which scored Johan Cruz to cut the deficit to 4-3.

Zach Fish then grounded to the first baseman, who chose to try to pick off Rodriguez at home after an errant throw from the second baseman pulled him off the bag. Rodriquez beat the tag and Great Falls knotted the game at four. Helena centerfielder Joantgel Segovia proceeded to drop a routine fly ball by Jackson Glines and Fish scored, which made it 5-4. A two-run homer by Nick Parent extended the lead to 7-4.

The Voyagers and Brewers continue their four-game series Saturday at 7 at Centene Stadium.