Thursday: Riders rally past Voyagers

Jackson Raper hit a tie-breaking solo home run in the eighth inning and the Glacier Range Riders made it two in a row against Great Falls Thursday, downing the Voyagers 6-5 in Pioneer League baseball.

The home run capped comeback from a 5-2, seventh-inning deficit: New Range Rider Nick Lucky hit a two-run double in Glacier’s half of the seventh to cut the gap to one, and Lucky scored on Ben McConnell’s RBI single to make it 5-5.

Raper hit his third home run of the season for the Range Riders (14-11) with one out in the eighth.

Justin Coleman, Glacier’s fourth reliever who came on in the eighth, got four outs for the win. He struck out one and improved to 2-0.

Great Falls third baseman/knuckleballer Collin Runge was again pretty effective against the Range Riders. Runge, who got his lone win against Glacier on May 25, allowed one hit — but six walks — and two runs in five innings. He struck out one.

Runge stayed in the game at DH and ended up 2-for-4 with an RBI for the Voyagers (8-17)..

Mason Dinesen added a double and stole two bases for Glacier. The Range Riders stole eight bases — two by Lucky, who scored twice — and got their first run on an RBI groundout by Crews Taylor.

The Range Riders play the Voyagers three more times in this home series, starting Friday at 7:05 p.m.

Voyagers 210 000 200 - 5 11 0

Range Riders 110 000 31x - 6 8 0

Collin Runge, Ethan Swanson (6), Greg Blackman (8), Montana Quigley (8) and Billy Hancock. Nick Zegna, Ryan Cloude (6), Joseph Kinsky (7), Cnnor Housley (8), Justin Coleman (8) and Matt Clayton.

GREAT FALLS VOYAGERS — Malec 2-4, Jepson 1-3, Runge 2-4, Kolbuch 2-5, McCabe 2-3, Herron 0-3, Hancock 1-4, Hesse 0-4, Espinal 1-4.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Howell 0-3, Raper 12, Miller 1-5, Taylor 0-4, Clayton 0-3, Fitzgerald 1-3, Dinesen 1-4, Lucky 2-4, McConnell 2-2.

2B — Malec, McCabe, Dinesen, Lucky. HR — Raper (3). RBIs — McCabe