Owlz rally past Chukars again

OREM — Falling behind to the Idaho Falls Chukars doesn't seem to bother the Orem Owlz.

For the second straight game the Owlz rallied late to knock off the Chukars, and for the second straight game they did it by a 2-1 score. The two teams entered Sunday's game tied atop the Pioneer League southern division with 8-4 records. The Owlz, winners of three straight, are now a game ahead of the Kansas City Royals' affiliate.

The win by Orem, in a game that lasted only 1:59, spoiled the perfect professional baseball debut from Chukars starter Josh Cribb. The eighth-round pick out of Clemson mowed down all 12 Orem hitters he faced — striking out four and not allowing one hard hit ball.

Orem starter Sean O'Sullivan had a little hard luck himself. O'Sullivan did allow his first earned run of the year when Luis Castillo capped off a three-single third inning for the Chukars with a two-out RBI liner to left, but he also fanned three and allowed only four hits in three innings. In 12 innings this year, opponents are batting a mere .152 against the Orem right hander but he's yet to pick up a win in three starts.

Anthony Sullivan, celebrating his 22nd birthday Sunday, was a little more fortunate in earning his second victory. He came in and tossed four scoreless innings which allowed the Owlz to chip away at Idaho Falls' slim 1-0 lead.

With Cribb leaving after four, the Owlz finally broke through with a run in the sixth off of Chukars reliever Daniel Gutierrez to knot the game 1-1. Orem scored its first run without really hitting a ball hard. Peter Bourjos reached on a one-out bad-hop single. Then, with two outs, Abel Nieves drove him home on a fisted single over second base.

However, the run the following inning that gave Orem the lead for good did come on a hard-hit ball. Tyler Johnson led off the home-half of the seventh with a solo blast over the left-field fence on a 1-2 pitch. The ball cleared the wall by only a foot or two.

With the lead, Orem manager Tom Kotchman brought in closer Felipe Arrendondo to lock down the win. The hard-throwing righty wasted no time in retiring the first five hitters he faced and appeared ready to close things out when he went ahead 0-2 with two outs in the ninth on Idaho Falls pinch-hitter Matt Morizio. But the left-handed Chukars slugger almost tied the game when he smashed a deep drive to right-center field that missed leaving the yard by inches. But Arrendondo came back and earned his second save by fanning the following hitter.

The Owlz close out the three-game home series with Idaho Falls tonight at 7:05.

In other Pioneer League action on Sunday, the Ogden Raptors downed the Casper Rockies 10-0.

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E-mail: jimr@desnews.com