Doh! 3 homers not enough for Ogden

OGDEN — The Ogden Raptors' home run parade continued Thursday, but their three solo shots came up short as they fell to the Missoula Osprey 4-3.

The Raptors' three home runs came after hitting five the previous night against the Helena Brewers.

Ogden had the tying run on in the ninth Thursday, but it could not advance the runner past first base and lost its second game in a row. The Raptors also got the tying run to third base in the eighth. Jesus Soto led off the inning with the third solo home run of the game for Ogden.

David Sutherland then doubled with one out and advanced to third on a B.J. Richmond groundout, but Jason Mooneyham grounded out to second to end the inning with the score 4-3.

Starter Mario Alvarez pitched six innings, giving up three runs — two earned — off five hits and struck out four batters, but received the loss as the Raptors never led in the game. Ramon Sanchez, Missoula's starter, got the win by going five and two-thirds innings and giving up only two runs.

Soto reached base all four times he batted, collecting three hits, one home run and a walk. Richmond and Mooneyham also homered for the Raptors.

Clinging to a 3-2 lead, Missoula extended its lead in the seventh inning when Jake Elder doubled and then scored on a wild pitch by Jonathon Maloan.

The Osprey took a two-run lead in the sixth inning. Greg Thomson hit a solo home run and Osvaldo Diaz had an RBI single to make the score 3-1. But the Raptors cut into the deficit in their next at-bat when Mooneyham hit Ogden's second solo home run over the center field wall, making the score 3-2.

With Ogden trailing by one in the fourth inning, Richmond hit a towering solo shot over the right field wall to tie the game 1-1.

In the second inning, Missoula's Bryan Byrne reached home on a throwing error to first base by Raptor second baseman Soto to make the score 1-0.

---

E-mail: bhinton@desnews.com