OREM — Early Thursday evening, it seemed the Orem Owlz' hopes of a first-half title in the Pioneer League's South Division had disappeared into the five-run hole the Owlz dug themselves during a miserable first inning.

But under manager Tom Kotchman, the Owlz have established a reputation for peaking at the right time, and Thursday was no exception as the Owlz played some of their best baseball of the season to come back and bury the Chukars, 15-5.

Orem recorded 17 hits, ending a dismal three-game stretch in which it had mustered only four hits per game.

Now, when Orem (22-15) and Idaho Falls (22-15) face off again tonight

at 7:05, it will be to decide the division's first-half title, which carries with it an automatic spot in the postseason.

"The game started out not the way you want to start it out against a club like that," Kotchman said. "But we pecked away at it and got back into the game. It is what it is, and it puts us in a position to play for a championship."

Trailing 5-3 at the midpoint, Orem blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth with a monstrous eight-run inning, in which Orem sent 12 batters to the plate and eight of the nine players in the lineup scored.

With the bases loaded and no outs, Owlz cleanup hitter Tyler Johnson, who had struck out in his two previous plate appearances, started the rally with a two-run single to left field to tie the score at five.

By the end of the inning, the Owlz held a six-run lead, thanks in part to a three-run triple by second baseman Tadd Brewer.

Idaho Falls went through five pitchers, but none had an answer for Orem's suddenly explosive offense, which added two runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth.

Orem's rally was especially impressive considering the abysmal way in which the Owlz began the game. Starting pitcher Bobby Cassevah couldn't buy a strike during his brief appearance, and was yanked after facing just six batters. He issued four walks and gave up five runs.

Reliever Barret Browning, who entered the game with just one out and the bases loaded, got off to a slow start as well, giving up a three-run double to the first batter he faced, Idaho Falls' Brenan Herrera.

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Browning recovered, however, to give up just one more hit and no runs in 4 2/3 innings and picked up the win.

Offensively, Brewer was the star of the evening. He hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the second to pull Orem within two runs, and finished 4-for-5 with seven RBIs.

Brewer said the team held a meeting prior to the game to set an offensive mindset.

"We knew we had to swing the bats; we haven't been doing that lately," he said. "Then we had our relievers come in and close it down and we got rolling. Hopefully some of that will carry over into tomorrow."

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