OGDEN — With just over a dozen games remaining in the second half of the season, and a playoff berth on the line, Ogden manager Lance Parrish reminded his team before Friday night's contest that every game from here on out is important.
The Raptors, who are two games behind Orem for first place in the Pioneer League South Division, trailed by as many as six runs early in the game and by as many as three late in the game, but fought back for a 13-11 victory over Great Falls, the doormat of the North Division.
"I told them we can't afford to give anything away. Every game is crucial. We've got to bear down and concentrate and try to win every game that we can," Parrish said.
Ryan Rogowski, who went 2-for-4 with four RBIs, drove in the tying and game-winning run with a single in the bottom of the eighth in leading the Raptors to a rare come-from-behind victory. The Raptors have now won five of their last six over the White Sox.
Great Falls (7-19) tagged Ogden starter Josh Wall for eight runs on six hits in the first two innings to build it biggest lead of the game at 8-2. The White Sox scored two in the first, which Ogden matched in the bottom half of the inning, but exploded for six runs off Wall — the second-most runs the Raptors have allowed in an inning all year.
Ogden (13-12) whittled back with three runs in the second, two of which came on an RBI double by Rogowski; one in the third on a solo homer by Jesus Soto, who went 5-for-5 with two RBIs and four runs scored; and two more in the fourth on RBI singles by Josh Bell and Soto to tie the game, 8-8.
The White Sox scored three more in the sixth off reliever Jesus Rodriguez to lead 11-8.
Jesus Soto tripled in the seventh and scored on an error, and the Raptors strung together five straight hits in the bottom of the eight, capped by Rogowski's two-run single, to take the lead for the first time in the game.
Reliever Greg Acheateal moved to 2-0 with the win, and Miguel Ramirez notched his seventh save. The two combined for just one hit in the final 3 1/3 innings.
Michael Rivera and Carlos Medero had three hits each for the Raptors, who had 19 in the game, while Scott Van Slyke added two hits.
The final game of the three-game series begins tonight at 7 p.m. at Lindquist Field.
OWLZ 5, MUSTANGS 4: At Orem, Billings shortstop Chris Valaika set a Pioneer League record by hitting safely in his 31st consecutive game, but Orem overcame an early 2-0 deficit, seized a 5-2 advantage, then held onto a 5-4 lead.
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