Castillo, Riders knock out Hawks Wednesday
BOISE, Idaho — Chad Castillo came up big in the eighth inning for the Glacier Range Riders Wednesday, in their Pioneer League game with the Boise Hawks.
With the game tied at 5-5 after nine innings, he came up even bigger.
The outfielder swatted five home runs during the Knockout Round used to decide tie games, giving the Range Riders a much-needed win as the first half of the Pioneer League winds down.
The win, Glacier’s fifth in six games, was big as it chases down its first-ever playoff berth. Range Riders radio broadcast Scot Gladstone pegged their magic number at four: That is, any number of Glacier wins and losses by Northern Colorado — at 26-18, just a game behind Glacier heading into Thursday’s games — will clinch a berth.
The Oakland Ballers are at 25-19, giving the next four games added importance. The first half ends Sunday.
Gabe Howell led off Wednesday’s game with a home run, his sixth in 57 at-bats, but the Hawks (23-21) used three walks, a wild pitch and T Jorgensen’s two-run single to score four times in the seventh inning for a 5-2 lead.
In the eighth, Glacier’s Ty Penner doubled and Christian Kirtley walked ahead of a one-out, two-run double by Castillo. Castillo, who also doubled in a run in the sixth inning, moved to third on Nick Block’s single and came in on JD McLaughlin’s sacrifice fly.
Relievers Luke Cooper and Cameron Cowan shut down Boise in the eighth and ninth, bringing on the Knockout Round. Castillo put the pressure on Boise third baseman Troy Viola with his five bombs; Viola hit just one.
Cooper Benson had an excellent start for Glacier, going six innings with three hits allowed. He struck out six and left with a 2-1 lead.
Glacier 100 001 030 - 5 10 1
Boise 000 001 400 - 5 5 0
Cooper Benson, Seth Pinkerton (7), Aidan McEvoy (7), Luke Cooper (8), Cameron Cowen (9) and Nick Gore. Luke Malone, Blake McFadden (6), Andrew Edwards (7), Casey Dykstra (8), Cameron Dayton (9) and Nicholas Klemp.
GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Gabe Howell 1-5, Andy Atwood 2-5, Ty Pennder 1-5, Christian Kirtley 0-3, Chad Castillo 3-4, Nick Block 2-3, JD McLaughlin 0-2, Nick Gore 1-3, Jerome Huntsinger 0-1, Gavin Tonkle 0-3, Ajay Sczepkowski 0-1.
BOISE HAWKS — Kole Kaler 1-5, Micah Yanomine 1-5, Troy Viola 1-3, Patrick Merino 0-3, Noah Marcelo 1-4, Nicholas Klemp 0-3, Tyler Jorgensen 1-3, Tyner Hughs 0-2, Jospeh Kalafut 0-1, Michael O’Hara 0-4.
2B — Atwood, Penner, Castillo 2, Block. HR — Howell (6), Yonamine (10). RBIs — Castillo 3, Howell, McLaughlin, Jorgensen 2, Kaler, Yonamine.