Steele HRs help Range Riders win 2 straight over Raptors

Jacob Steele homered for the second straight night, Alex Fernandes had a four-hit night and the Glacier Range Riders made it two straight wins over Ogden Thursday, 8-5 in Pioneer League baseball.

Steele, who hit a grand slam in Wednesday’s 10-3 Range Rider win, hit his fifth home run in the sixth inning, a three-run shot that put Glacier (29-16) ahead 8-2. Those runs came in handy as Ogden (26-19) scored single runs in the final three innings, closing to 8-5 on Colson Lawrence’s RBI single in the ninth.  

Range Riders’ reliever Jack Maruskin then picked up his third strikeout of the inning to close it out. 

Brock Vandenberg hit a solo home run to cap a three-run first inning for Glacier, which handed Ogden starter Nico Staltformaggio (7-1) his first loss, garnering 11 hits and seven earned runs in his six innings of work. Vandenberg also doubled and scored three times. 

Aidan Elfering (4-4) got the win for Glacier, scattering seven hits and a walk in a six-inning start. He fanned five. 

Cole Jordan hit his 11th home run for Ogden in the eighth. 

The series continues Friday at Glacier Bank Park. First pitch is at 6:35 p.m.

Ogden     000    020    111    -    5    14    1 

Glacier    300    113    00x    -    8    12    1

Nico Saltformaggio, Kyle Lewis (7), Harper McLendon (8) and Dylan Wilkinson. Aidan Elfering, Alex Bustamante (7), Jack Maruskin (9) and Johnny Luetzow.  

OGDEN RAPTORS — Chase Valentine 1-5, Carmine Lane 3-5, Kyle Stancato 2-5, Colson Lawrence 1-5, Giuseppe Ferraro-Nahr 2-4, Sebastian Greico 1-5, Cole Jordan 1-4, Wilkins 1-4, Bradley Pelle 2-4. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Alex Fernandes 4-4, Kyle Ashworth 1-3, JD McLaughlin 0-3, Brock Vradenburg 3-4, Garson Garner 2-4, Carson Hornung 0-4, Jacob Steele 1-4, Logan Beard 0-3, Luetzow 1-3. 

2B — Lane, Ferraro-Nahr, Fernandes, Vradenburg, Garner. 3B — Ashworth. HR — Jordan (11), Vradenburg (3), Steele (5). RBIs — Valentine, Stancato, Lawrence, Ferrero-Nahr, Jordan, Steele 3, McLaughlin 2, Ashworth, Vradenburg, Garner.  

Late Wednesday 

Range Riders 10, Raptors 3

Steele was joined in the HR parade by Carson Garner and Logan Beard for the Range Riders. 

Garner hit a two-run home run to put the Range Riders up 3-0 in the third inning; after Garner drew a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-1 in the fifth, Steele hit his slam to make it 8-1. 

Beard added a solo home run in the seventh inning for Glacier. 

Four Range Rider pitchers combined to hold Ogden to seven hits. Cole Cressend handled the first three innings, allowing two hits and a walk with three strikeouts. 

Chris Canada took over and fanned six in three innings. 

Ogden    000    010    110    -    3    7    0 

Glacier    012    051    10x    -    10    13    1

Chase Chatman, Dylan Gardiner (5), Carson Kellly (8) and Wilkinson. Cole Cressend, Chris Canada (4), Davis Pratt (7), Jacob Hasty (8) and Donovan Ratfield. 

OGDEN RAPTORS — Valentine 2-4, Wilkinson 1-4, Lane 0-4, Ferraro-Nahr 0-3, Lawrence 1-3, Greico 1-3, Efrain Manzo 0-1, Jordan 2-4, Stancato 0-4, Pelle 0-1, Tyler Ganus 0-2. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Ashworth 2-3, McLaughlin 2-3, Ratfield 3-5, Garner 1-3, Tommy Rover 0-4, Steele 2-4, Beard 2-3, Walker Zampella 1-4, Andrew Collins 0-4. 

2B — Wilkinson, Ashworth 2, McLaughlin. 3B — Zampella. HR — Lawrence (14), Jordan (10), Garner (6), Steele (4), Beard (5). RBIs — Wilkinson, Lawrence, Jordan, Steele 4, Garner 3, Beard 2, Ratfield.