Riders Rally Past Raptors in Front of Record-Breaking Crowd

FLATHEAD VALLEY, MT. – A Glacier Bank Park record crowd of 2,924 people were on hand to see the Glacier Range Riders (21-14) survive a wacky Monday night affair over the Ogden Raptors (23-13). After the dust had settled for the near four-hour contest, Glacier was on top 12-9. Three runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, plus a lights out final 2+ innings from Justin Coleman helped snag the win for the Range Riders.

In the first matchup ever between Ogden and Glacier, the Raptors drew first blood. Three runs in the top of the first had the visitors up early but Dean Miller was able to answer with a sac fly. One more Ogden run in the second reestablished a three-run lead for the Raptors, before the Range Riders were able to tie it in the third. First, Crews Taylor scored Jackson Raper on an RBI groundout, then Kingston Liniak belted his seventh homer of the season to equalize the scoreline.

The tug-of-war continued in the next half inning with Ogden pulling back in front thanks to a wacky and scary series of events. First, a wicked come backer hit Pat Miner and when he picked up the ball and tried to make a play at first, a misthrow caused a collision between the baserunner and first baseman Dean Miller. Both stayed down for an extended time along with Miner, who was forced to exit the contest, as did the baserunner. One run scored on that play, then another on another error and an RBI groundout made it 7-4.

Mason Dinesen clocked a home run in the bottom of the inning as Glacier still trailed by one, but then back to two win another run by Ogden. Miller led off the bottom of the fifth and attacked a ball like he had a grudge against it, whacking it 430 feet for a solo homer. Scoreless frames were exchanged until the seventh when Ogden went up two on a wild pitch. Justin Coleman then came on and inherited a bases loaded two-out jam against the Raptors number three batter in the lineup. Coleman struck out the batter looking to strand all the ducks on the pond and stoked the flames of the Flathead Faithful.

In the bottom of that inning, Glacier scraped two across to tie the game thanks to a bases loaded walk and a wild pitch. Coleman struck out all three batters he faced in the eighth, setting the stage for another bottom of the eighth Glacier Bank Park rally in this 2023 season. When Raper walked, Ben McConnell pinch ran for the Glacier third baseman and a misthrow on a pickoff attempt allowed McConnell to get all the way into third. Miller was intentionally walked when Crews Taylor put a looping ball into no man's land in center to score McConnell and put Glacier up. A sac fly from Liniak and a clutch pinch hit RBI single from Linscott had the Riders up three heading to the ninth.

The tying run got to the plate for the Raptors in the ninth, but JCole did what JCole is used to doing and he sent down the final Raptor the same way he got the previous six outs, via the K. This was one of the longest outings of Justin Colemans career as all seven outs were strikeouts, he allowed no hits, no runs, and picked up his third win of the season.

The Range Riders and Raptors celebrate Independence Day in style with another game on the 4^th of July. First pitch is set for 7:05 PM from Glacier Bank Park.