Owlz claim another crown

MISSOULA, Mont. — The Orem Owlz took home the franchise's fourth Pioneer League baseball championship since 2004 with a 13-10 victory over the Missoula Osprey on Saturday night.

The Owlz, who dropped the best-of-three series opener on Wednesday at Orem, bounced back by outscoring the Osprey 23-10 in the two games played in Montana. Orem won Friday's second game, 10-0, to set the stage for Saturday's decisive title showdown.

After each team scored three runs in the first inning, the Owlz took the lead for good with single runs in the third and fourth innings, then broke it open with a six-run outburst in the fifth that made it 11-3. Missoula managed a six-run rally in the bottom of the ninth to make it close.

Casey Haerther went 4-for-5 with a homer, a double and seven RBIs to lead Orem's 13-hit attack. Haerther hit a three-run homer for Orem in the first and an RBI single in the third. He added a three-run triple in the fifth. Jeremy Berg picked up the pitching win in relief.