Range Riders take 2 of 3 from Hawks

Newcomer Jake McKenzie had two hits and scored twice, and the Glacier Range Riders’ bullpen was its usual lock-down self in a 9-3 Pioneer League win over the Boise Hawks Wednesday.

McKenzie, added to the roster on Monday while pitcher Ryan Cloude headed to the injured list, was one of five Range Riders with two knocks on Wednesday. Mason Dinesen, Dean Miller, Christian Kirtley and Austin Bates joined him, and Kirtley and Bates each hit doubles.

Kirtley and Matt Clayton also scored two runs while Glacier (8-12 this half) outhit the Hawks 13-6.

Jonathan Clark (3-2) got the win on the hill, allowing five hits, a walk and two earned runs in five innings. He fanned eight.

Lyle Hibbitts came on in the sixth inning with the score 7-3 and threw two innings; Luke Dawson and Rob Hamby took the eighth and ninth.

Boise (8-13) led 1-0 on Trevor Minder’s fifth home run in the first inning, but the Range Riders got that run back on a double steal in their half. Dean Miller stole second while Dinesen came home.

Glacier took the lead for good in the second inning, 4-1, when Gabe Howell’s bases-loaded, fielder’s choice grounder was misplayed into a two-base error and all three runners scored.

Dinesen and Miller hit RBI singles in the fourth inning, and Bates drove in Kirtley with his RBI double in the fifth. In the seventh inning, Klinak and MacKenzie hit RBI singles.

Glacier won two of three from the Hawks at Glacier Bank Park. Both teams traveled to Idaho Thursday for a three-game series starting Friday at Boise’s Memorial Stadium.

CLIFF NOTES: McKenzie signed as an undrafted free agent with Boston in 2021, and spent the first part of this season in the Colorado Rockies’ system, hitting .250 with two teams. Last season he hit .302 with 14 homers with New York of the independent Frontier League. … Miller stole three bases and was caught stealing once Wednesday. He’s up to 21 steals, tying him for seventh in the PL with former teammate Ben McConnell.