Voyagers win home opener
Great Falls was pretty excited for Minor League Baseball, if the crowd 1,937 at Centene Stadium Saturday for the Voyagers’ home opener told any part of the story.
And the fans weren’t the only ones pumped up for some hardball at Centene, especially after a rainout Friday in Billings caused the Voyagers wait an extra day for a shot at their first win of 2015.
That win came, 12-7, over the visiting Helena Brewers Saturday. The Voyagers jumped on Helena pitching to the tune of 11 hits.
First-year manager Cole Armstrong said the Voyagers couldn’t wait to take the field in front of a home crowd, especially after Friday’s rainout.
“Obviously, everybody’s a little geeked out for the first few games of the season,” Armstrong said prior to Saturday’s game. “It’s definitely a little bit of a let-down when the rain comes in, but you know, there’s going to be lots of baseball this summer. We’re not going to be short on games.”
The early-season postponement wasn’t a total washout for the Voyagers.
“It definitely helps us set up our (pitching) rotation a little bit and gives our bullpen a day, so it’s not the worst thing in the world,” Armstrong said.
Surely the Great Falls manager is hoping Saturday’s offensive outburst sets the tone for the rest of the season. The sooner the Voyagers develop that, he said, the better.
“Every good team, as the season goes on, is going to develop an identity,” Armstrong said. “And as a staff, we’re here to facilitate that environment for them. … As the season goes on, you’re going to see the personality of the team come out, and hopefully that will translate into some wins.”
The Voyagers’ roster sports 12 players drafted just weeks ago in the 2015 MLB Amateur Draft, so there are a lot of new faces – and skill sets – for Armstrong and his staff to sort through.
“A lot of the new draft guys, three or four days is all we’ve seen,” Armstrong said. “We’re looking forward to seeing them out here and seeing what they can do.”
Some draftees didn’t wait long to make an impression. Shortstop Grant Massey, taken in the 26th round, hammered out two hits, including a two-RBI double in the seventh inning. Center fielder Frank Califano, taken in the 19th round out of Youngstown State, smoked an RBI double, stole a base and scored a run as well.
Great Falls jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first and tacked on another in the second, but Helena retaliated.
The Voyagers trailed 5-4 heading into the bottom half of the fifth, but Great Falls scored in the fifth, sixth and seventh to retake the lead for good. The four-run sixth was highlighted by Jake Jarvis’ two-run single with two outs.
Great Falls added another in the eighth, an RBI groundout by Casey Schroeder.
Troy Stokes’ two home runs kept Helena within striking distance. His second, a solo shot in the eighth inning, easily cleared the Centene Stadium scoreboard behind the left-field fence.
Right-hander Lucas Shearrow earned the win in relief for Great Falls, tossing 21/3 perfect innings. He was the pitcher of the night for either team not to allow a run. Helena reliever Bubba Blau was saddled with the loss.
The two teams play again Sunday afternoon in the capital city, a 1 p.m. start.
Helena | Great Falls | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ab | r | h | bi | ab | r | h | bi | ||
Allmnd 2b | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | Califano cf | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Harrison cf | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jarvis 2b | 5 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
Gtwood ss | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ARdrguez rf | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
Krknny 1b | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | Orvis 1b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Denson dh | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Fish c | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Cuas 3b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Schrder dh | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Stokes lf | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | VVlsquez 3b | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
KMrtnez c | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Lassiter lf | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Cotto rf | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | Silverio lf | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Massey ss | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |||||
Totals | 36 | 7 | 11 | 6 | Totals | 34 | 12 | 11 | 9 |
Helena | 010 | 400 | 110 | — | 7 |
Great Falls | 310 | 014 | 21x | — | 12 |
E—Milton Gomez (1), ARodriguez (1), VVelasquez (2). DP—Helena 1, Great Falls 1. LOB—Helena 6, Great Falls 8. 2B—Califano (1), VVelasquez (1), Massey (1). 3B—Cotto (1). HR— Stokes 2 (2). SB—Stokes (1), Califano (1). CS—Allemand (2). S—Harrison. SF—Schroeder.
Helena | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Milton Gomez | 5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
Blau L,0-2 | 2 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 3 |
Hudgens | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
Great Falls | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
Einhardt | 32/3 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 |
Shearrow W,1-0 | 21/3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Hasler | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Mike Gomez | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
WP—Milton Gomez, Blau 2, Hudgens, Einhardt.
T—3:04. A—1,937.
ONLINE EXTRA
See a video at gftrib.com.
MORE INSIDE
Voyagers schedule /5S