Owlz lose star player, then game

OREM — The Orem Owlz lost the final game of their series against the Missoula Osprey on Thursday night. Both teams had more important matters on their mind though after one of Orem's top players left the field in an ambulance in the seventh inning.

Missoula ended up victorious in the 5-3 affair, but the mood on the field and in the stands was somber after Jay Brossman was taken to the hospital after a freak injury at first.

Brossman — playing at first base for Gordie Gronkowski, who was out with back spasms — left the game on a stretcher after injuring himself trying to field a pop-up near the bag. His injury occurred when he tripped trying to pick up a fly ball in the lights and hit his head hard on the infield dirt.

The game was delayed for more than 20 minutes as Brossman was attended to on the field and was taken by ambulance to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center as a precautionary measure.

"As of right now, everything looks good," Orem manager Tom Kotchman said. "Obviously they are going to do CT scans."

The play in question gave Missoula the lead after the Osprey scored two runs on Brossman's error. The Osprey tied the game at three in the previous at-bat after reliever Tremayne Holland walked a batter with the bases full. Derrick Walker's RBI single scored the first run in the inning and an RBI sac fly from Chance Wheeless brought home their second run.

Orem starter Jordan Walden went six innings in his longest start of the season. After struggling in the early part of the year, he has allowed only three runs in his last 25 1/3 innings pitched.

"We have a problem with our relief pitchers coming in and giving up other people's runs," Kotchman said.

Orem took an early lead in the first when Andrew Romine's fly ball looked to be caught in left, but the breeze took it over the fence for the home run.

Julio Perez contributed in scoring Orem's next two runs. His flyout in the third inning to deep center brought home Ryan Kiniry from third that gave the Owlz a 2-0 lead. Perez also scored Orem's final run in the sixth after coming home from third on Jeremy Moore's RBI groundout.