Phelts Robbery in Right Secures W

In game 3 of this early season contest, the Ogden Raptors came out firing on all cylinders, taking an early lead in this one and never looking back. While they might have dominated on the scoreboard, the game was much closer than you would see at first glance, with the Jackalopes lineup threatening to tie the ballgame up in the ninth. In the midst of this jam, Adam Scoggins was brought in to get just 1 out against the right-handed power bat of Austin Chouinard and he shut the door, solidifying a Raptors W, and extending their undefeated streak to 3-0 on the year. 

While the Raptor's pitching did post 6 scoreless frames, it was Raptors' sluggers tonight who put their team in a great position to win this game. The story to this point had been the bullpen, however, in this game, the offense picked up weight where the bullpen slacked, and gave them room and insurance to shove on the bump and solidify this win. Assisted by a 1-run tally in the 4th and 2-runs in the 6th, the Raptors extended the lead to 5 runs, dominating 6-1 moving into the final innings of the ballgame. Cameron Phelts and Landen Barns both carved out notable at-bats throughout the game, each recording 2 RBIs and 2 clutch hits to provide the Raptors bullpen with some much-needed insurance during the middle innings. That insurance proved to be monumental when the Jackalopes were threatening with the tying run at the plate in the 9th inning. On a ball scorched down the right field line off the bat of Jaylen Hubbard, Cameron Phelts committed grand theft larceny in Right Field, showing off his 5-tool production with a death-defying catch on a ball trailing away from him. He laid out to make one of the most improbable catches you will ever see on a baseball diamond; In turn, keeping the lead intact, and preventing the Jackalopes from hitting their way back into the game. 

Despite their red-hot start with the lineup making contact like they were hitting beachballs, and the bullpen throwing seeds by opposing hitters, there was a slight momentum shift as the Jackalopes rallied in the back half of the game. In the end, the Raptors got the W which is all you can ask for, however, Grand Junction was just a single hit away from completing the improbable comeback as the Raptors got complacent in the late innings. Thankfully, Grand Junction did not account for the range of Phelts in Right or Scoggins' heat on the mound which provided the Raptors with the edge they needed to win this ballgame. They'll look to close out tonight's game in a better fashion and stay undefeated on the new season as the Raptors take on the Jackalopes in game 4 of the series at 6:30 PM. See you there!