IDAHO FALLS — With the wind blowing out at Melaleuca Field, the PBL’s cellar-dwelling duo of the Idaho Falls Chukars and RedPocket Mobiles turned Saturday night’s showdown into a home run derby.
RedPocket (7-22) got things started with a pair of homers, including a grand slam from former Chukar Andy Valdes, in the top of the first. Tyler Wyatt answered with a three-run dinger in the bottom of the first. Justin Trimble hit his own three-run bomb in the second, answering back-to-back-to-back jacks from the Mobiles in the top of the second.
The two teams combined for 10 homers before a sudden rainstorm forced the game to come to an early conclusion. Eight of those homers came from the Mobiles, who beat the Chukars (4-24) 18-12 in seven innings.
Solomon Washington (L, 0-2) got the start, and was hit hard immediately.
In his 2 innings of work, the right-hander surrendered eight hits, four walks, nine runs and five home runs.
Washington gave way to Blake Barker, who did a better job of keeping RedPocket in the park, serving up just one long ball, but still allowed seven hits and six runs in his 2 innings.
Julian Berenti was the first Idaho Falls pitcher to post a zero on the board, holding RedPocket scoreless in the fifth. He followed with a 1-2-3 sixth, but did not have the same success in the seventh, when he was tagged with two homers and three runs.
The Chukar offense answered early, with three runs in the first, on the Wyatt homer, and six in the second, including Trimble’s blast, to tie the game at nine. But Idaho Falls did not have the firepower to stay with a Mobiles team that produced more than 3,300 feet worth of homers.
Lead-off man Ty Dooley went 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs. Sam Canton added two hits, two runs and an RBI, while Garret Ostrander drew three walks and scored two runs.
Valdes, playing against the Chukars for the first time since he was cut by the team last month, homered twice and drove in six. Hector Nieves also homered twice for RedPocket.
The same two teams will meet again Sunday with the Chukars looking to avoid a series sweep.
RedPocket Mobiles first baseman, clean-up hitter and hitting coach Jordan Harrison-Dudley leads away from second. He went 2-for-3 with two runs scored in the game. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
Garret Ostrander bats in the first inning of Saturday’s Chukar loss. He drew a walk and scored on Tyler Wyatt’s three-run homer. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
Solomon Washington pitches during the first inning of Saturday’s game. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
The Chukars bench looks on as RedPocket scores six runs in the first inning Saturday. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
The RedPocket Mobile dugout greets left fielder Hector Nieves (10) after his homer in the second inning. Nieves’ second homer of the game was the third of RedPocket’s back-to-back-to-back big flies in the second. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
Catcher Drew Stengren bats during the Chukars’ loss Saturday. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
Tyler Wyatt loads his swing before homering in the first inning of the Chukars’ loss Saturday. | Kalama Hines, EastIdahoSports.com
Current PBL standings
1. Long Beach Coast (23-6)
2. Billings Mustangs (22-6)
3. Boise Hawks (18-10)
4. Modesto Roadsters (17-12)
5. Ogden Raptors (16-12)
T6. Glacier Range Riders (15-14)
T6. Missoula PaddleHeads (15-14)
8. Oakland Ballers (13-16)
9. Great Falls Voyagers (12-17)
10. Yuba-Sutter Freebirds (10-19)
11. RedPocket Mobiles (7-22)
12. Idaho Falls Chukars (4-24)
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