Chukars rally for 13 runs in middle-innings, best Freebirds

IDAHO FALLS — The Chukars erased an early deficit Thursday with 13 runs across the fourth, fifth and sixth innings, then put the Yuba-Sutter Freebirds away with a five-run eighth.

With their 18-15 victory, the Chukars (23-16, 38-49) stayed 4 games back of the Missoula PaddleHeads (27-12, 51-35). Idaho Falls is now even with the Boise Hawks (23-16, 46-41), tied for fifth in the Pioneer Baseball League second-half standings.

Coming to bat in the bottom of the fourth, the Chukars faced an 11-0 hole.

The home team got the frame started with back-to-back extra-base hits — a lead-off double from Emilio Barrera followed by a Sam Canton RBI triple — and parlayed that into six runs. Casey Vaughan capped the inning with a three-run homer.

Canton and Wes Mitchell both homered — Mitchell’s scoring three runs — in a four-run fifth.

Mitchell added a two-run single in a three-run sixth.

Despite the explosion in the middle innings, the Chukars came to bat in the eighth trailing 14-13.

But Idaho Falls rallied again, scoring five on RBIs from Tyler Wyatt, Vaughan, Ty Dooley and Garret Ostrander — a two-run single.

Wyatt’s RBI single was his first and only hit of the game, in five at-bats, extending his PBL-record hitting streak to 42 games.

C.J. Colyer (W, 1-0, 13.86 ERA) earned the decision after allowing a run in the eighth, his only inning of work.

The Chukars will look to even their series with the Freebirds at two wins apiece Friday night, with first pitch set for 7:05 p.m.

Four games back of a playoff spot with only nine games left in the season, the Chukars cannot afford to lose. Even if they win out, the Chuks will need some help. The second-place PaddleHeads are 7-3 over their last 10 games, but have a three-game set at the first-place Modesto Roadsters (29-10, 56-31) this weekend.

The third-place Billings Mustangs (25-13, 61-24) are riding an 11-game winning streak and are scheduled to play a Friday doubleheader against the Ogden Raptors (16-22, 45-41). Long Beach Coast (24-15, 61-26), in fourth place following a three-game sweep of Modesto, opens a three-game set at the Oakland Ballers (20-19, 42-45) on Friday.

Boise, winners of seven of 10, will continue a six-game set at the Great Falls Voyagers (13-26, 31-56).

PBL second-half standings

1. Modesto Roadsters 29-10
2. Missoula PaddleHeads 27-12
3. Billings Mustangs 25-13
4. Long Beach Coast 24-15
T5. Boise Hawks 23-16
T5. Idaho Falls Chukars 23-16
7. Oakland Ballers 20-19
8.Glacier Range Riders 17-22
9. Ogden Raptors 16-22
10. Yuba-Sutter Freebirds 15-24
11. Great Falls Voyagers 13-26
12. RedPocket Mobiles 1-38