Chukars best Boise, claim first series win this season

IDAHO FALLS — For the first time this season, the Chukars have won a series, taking two of three from a Boise Hawks team that arrived in Idaho Falls with the third-best record in the PBL.

After splitting the first two games of a three-game set at Melaleuca Field, the Chukars (4-22) countered late scoring from the Hawks (17-10) with their own five-run eighth en route to a 14-10 victory.

The Chukars got a quality start from Seth Spencer, who scattered nine hits and three walks while allowing three earned runs in his 6 innings of work. Spencer (W, 1-2) struck out three and needed 109 pitches to pitch around one big error and tons of traffic.

Idaho Falls scored a pair of runs in the first, answering one from the Hawks. The Chukars answered a Boise two-spot in the second with back-to-back solo homers in the third, from Tyler Wyatt and Wesley Mitchell.

The home team’s biggest frame of the night came in the eighth, when the Chukars took advantage of a pair of run-scoring errors and a bases-loaded walk to score five times.

Wyatt finished the game with three hits, two runs scored and three RBIs. Sam Canton went 4-for-6 with four runs scored, while Justin Trimble, Drew Stengren and Casey Vaughan each drove in two.

Spencer, who was tagged with two unearned runs, handed his bullpen a 9-5 lead. The duo of Robert Estrada and Hunter Harget (S, 1) allowed five runs, just two earned, taking advantage of the insurance provided by the Chukar five-run eighth to hold on.

The Chukars will open a three-game weekend set against the RedPocket Mobiles (5-22) Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.

Current PBL standings
1. Billings Mustangs (21-5)
2. Long Beach Coast (21-6)
3. Boise Hawks (17-10)
T4. Modesto Roadsters (16-11)
T4. Ogden Raptors (16-11)
6. Glacier Range Riders (15-12)
7. Missoula PaddleHeads (13-14)
8. Oakland Ballers (12-15)
9. Great Falls Voyagers (11-16)
10. Yuba-Sutter Freebirds (10-17)
11. RedPocket Mobiles (5-22)
12. Idaho Falls Chukars (4-22)