Chukars lose 3 of 4 to Rockies
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CJ Eldred pitched 7 great innings for the Idaho Falls Chukars but the Grand Junction Rockies scored 1 run in the 8th inning and 3 more in the 9th to beat the Chukars 5-1 on Sunday afternoon at Melaleuca Field.
The Chukars lone run came in the bottom of the first inning as Nate Eaton hit a solo home run over the right field wall to give Idaho Falls a 1 run lead. Eaton, the Pioneer League All-Star is hitting .340 going into the break. Eaton went 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI in the game.
Grand Junction tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the 5th inning as Franklin Garcia hit a leadoff triple. He scored on a Christopher Navarro bunt single. It was the only run allowed for CJ Eldred, who was solid in 7 innings, allowing 6 hits, walking 1 and striking out 4.
The Rockies took the lead in the 8th inning when Jack Klein threw a wild pitch with the bases loaded, scoring Will Golsan and giving Grand Junction a 2-1 lead.
In the top of the 9th inning, Grand Junction scored 3 runs on 5 hits off of relief pitcher Jordan Floyd to give the Rockies some insurance runs. They held the Chukars scoreless in the 9th inning to secure the 5-1 win.
The Rockies won 3 of the big 4 game series heading into the All-Star break. Grand Junction pitchers struck out 46 batters in the series and held the Chukars to just 12 runs in the series.
It’s off to the All-Star break. 4 Chukars will represent the Pioneer League in the annual Pioneer League vs Northwest League All-Star Game. Infielders Nate Eaton and Reed Rohlman along with left handed pitchers JC Cloney and Kris Bubic. 6:40 pm first pitch at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction.