Chukars crumble in sixth, drop fourth straight

GREAT FALLS, Mont. — The Idaho Falls Chukars continue to search for a win after dropping their fourth straight game to start the season Friday night to the Great Falls Voyagers.

The Chukars (0-4) grabbed a 7-3 lead in the third inning, when Great Falls pitchers lost control of the strike zone. But Idaho Falls pitching fell apart in the sixth, surrendering seven runs in an eventual 14-9 win for the Voyagers (1-3).

Tyler Wyatt drove in the first run of the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the first, scoring Garret Ostrander. Great Falls answered with three in the bottom half, but Idaho Falls came back with a six-run third, featuring more production from Ostrander and Wyatt.

A Wyatt one-out double scored Ostrander, who started the inning with a double. Cole Robinson singled to left, moving Wyatt to third. From there, four of the next five Chukar hitters were issued free bases — on three walks and a hit batsman. Ostrander delivered the final blow of the frame with a two-run single.

Great Falls didn’t get all six back in the bottom half, but did score one on a Tommy Specht solo homer, making the score 7-4.

Idaho Falls starter Wilton Castillo held the Voyagers there into the sixth. But a high walk total eventually led to his removal. Castillo finished his 5-plus innings of work with four hits and seven runs, all earned, allowed. He struck out six but walked six and gave up two long balls.

He departed with two on and no out, with one run already scored, in the sixth.

Miguel Gonzalez (L, 0-1) was the first man out of the bullpen for the Chukars. He surrendered two hits and a walk before he was lifted without recording an out. All three runners allowed by Gonzalez crossed the plate when Ramon Camacho, the third Chukar pitcher of the inning, allowed three more Great Falls batters to reach before finally putting an end to the inning.

The Voyagers scored three more to the record of Jordi Romero, who issued four more walks in his 2 innings.

Ostrander finished the game with three hits, two runs scored and two RBIs to lead the Chukars. Robinson went 4-for-5 with a run scored.

The same two teams will meet in the same place Saturday night, with first pitch set for 6:30 p.m.

Current PBL standings
T1. Glacier Range Riders (4-0)
T1. Modesto Roadsters (4-0)
T3. Billings Mustangs (3-1)
T3. Missoula PaddleHeads (3-1)
T5. Boise Hawks (2-2)
T5. Long Beach Coast (2-2)
T5. Oakland Ballers (2-2)
T5. Ogden Raptors (2-2)
T9. Great Falls Voyagers (1-3)
T9. Yuba-Sutter Freebirds (1-3)
T11. Idaho Falls Chukars (0-4)
T11. RedPocket Mobiles (0-4)