Make that another walk off in Windsor after another thrilling Owlz game.
Northern Colorado (4-2) defeated the Great Falls Voyagers (2-3), 11-10, on Tuesday night. It was a nail biter, with multiple ties and lead changes, but the team got it done.
"I can't tell you how proud I am of the guys. The guys don't quit," said manager Frank Gonzales. "(That's) part of the culture here and the way this team competes."
The Owlz gave up two runs in the top of the first, but tied it up when right fielder Abdel Guadalupe drove in two on an RBI triple.
Great Falls took another lead in the second, going up 8-4 at one point. Then came the seventh.
Two Owlz singled to get on base, before centerfielder Estevan De La O pushed in two runs on a double. Second baseman Brandon Crosby hit a home run to tie the game, and first baseman Jackson Coutts hit a go-ahead solo shot.
"I was just trying to keep it simple; see something in my zone and get a good swing on it," Crosby said. "The less I think the better it is."
Crosby arrived on Monday night after the franchise acquired him in a trade. He actually played with the Owlz last season and was the first player since the franchise moved from Orem to hit for the cycle.
He started this season with the Ogden Raptors in Utah. The second baseman made a couple of errors in the game but felt like part of that was readjusting to the position and playing with the current lineup for the first time.
Otherwise, he likes being back with the team. The guys have great relationships with each other and the dugout is competitive.
"I went to Ogden and you know, I thought things were gonna work out over there, but when I got traded, I was excited," Crosby said. "I was missing NoCo. I loved it here."
Well, he certainly showed that love in the game.
Keon Taylor, who has been the closer, struggled in his outing on Tuesday. He gave up two runs, including a home run, allowing the Voyagers to retake a ninth-inning lead.
Thankfully, Crosby led off with a ninth-inning single, with Coutts following up. Dave Matthews came in as a pinch hitter, scoring Crosby and tying the teams at 10.
Finally, shortstop Payton Robertson – who'd struggled at the plate all evening – knocked in the game-winning base hit to score pinch runner Jonathan Hodo.
"This stage was set with what (pitcher) Edgar Cuevas did. Cuevas went out there and gave us a chance; gave up the one run on the balk," Gonzales said. "Other than that, those three innings – and the zero that Tyler Johnson put up in the eighth – is what allowed us to come back. Those four innings were the change in the game. The offense got going and the rest is history."
The Owlz are set to play their second game against the Voyagers at 7:05 p.m. at Future Legends Field. Fans are encouraged to follow the team's social media pages for any additional updates.
Notable stats of the game
Brandon Crosby: 3 R, 2 H, 2 RBI, 1 HR
Danny Perez: 2 R, 2 H, 1 RBI, 1 HR
Jackson Coutts: 1 R, 3 H, 1 RBI, 1 2B
Edgar Cuevas: 3.0 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
Owlz batting: 11 R, 17 H, 11 RBI, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 2 BB, 1 SB, 6 K, 5 LOB
Voyagers batting: 10 R, 12 H, 9 RBI, 2 2B, 3 HR, 4 BB, 3 SB, 1 CS, 10 K, 10 LOB
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