Voyagers defeat Idaho Falls Chukars

Evin Einhardt had to wait two days for his scheduled start after the Great Falls Voyagers were rained out Sunday afternoon and scheduled off Monday.

Tuesday, the right-handed pitcher was finally rewarded with a win.

The Voyagers defeated Idaho Falls, 7-3, in the first of a three-game set against the Chukars.

Idaho Falls gave an early scare to Centene's crowd of 1,076, taking advantage of an early Great Falls error to plate two runs in the top of the first inning.

Leadoff man Cody Jones reached on an error, and Idaho Falls No. 3 hitter Amalani Fukofuka doubled Jones in. Fukofuka would later score on Roman Collins' RBI knock.

Great Falls starter Evin Einhardt was dominant after the first. The right-hander didn't allow an earned run in six innings, scattering three hits and striking out four Chukars.

The Voyagers offense sent Einhardt out with a 6-2 lead, striking for three runs in both the second and fourth innings.

Great Falls strung three straight hits together with one out in the second, starting with Ryan Jones' single. Jones came all the way around to score on Joxelier Garcia's double down the left-field line, and Victor Velasquez followed that up with a no-doubter to left, making up for his first-inning miscue.

The fourth-inning rally was sparked by Frank Califano's bunt single to lead off the frame. Califano came around to score on Johan Cruz' RBI double, and Cruz score two batters later on a two-bagger from Antonio Rodriguez, giving Chukars reliever Brandon Thomas a rude welcoming.

Bullpen issues continued for Great Falls, which brought in Ryan Hinchley to throw the seventh. The left-hander walked the first two batters he faced before squirming out of the jam to leave the bases loaded.

The next inning, reliever Danny Dopico yielded a hard-luck run when center fielder Frank Califano lost a ball in the night sky off the bat of Martin Gasparini. Gasparini scored on Kyle Pollock's double. Dopico closed the game out with a scoreless ninth.

Thomas was spectacular in relief after the fourth-inning double to Rodriguez. He allowed just two more hits in 4 2/3 innings. Great Falls' lone run off the lefty was unearned, coming in the bottom of the eighth.

Cruz was 4-for-5 to lead the Voyagers offense, and Garcia had a pair of knocks. Fukofuka had two of Idaho Falls' five hits.

In other Voyagers news, former Great Falls play-by-play announcer Jared Sandler made his debut Tuesday evening as the Texas Rangers' radio commentator. Sandler, who spent the 2011 season as the voice of the Voyagers, called Texas' 4-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Arlington.