Howell, Quigley lead Riders toward playoffs
BOISE — Huge performances from Gabe Howell and Montana Quigley gave the Glacier Range Riders their first Pioneer League playoff berth, with their 8-5 win over Boise Saturday night.
The berth isn’t official, but extremely likely: If the Range Riders don’t allow 46 runs Sunday in their series finale against the Hawks at Memorial Stadium, they will have a playoff spot after finishing the first half of the season as one of the top two seeds.
With Northern Colorado winning earlier in the night, the Range Riders had to win to maintain their one-game lead for the playoff spot — and Howell made sure they did just that.
Howell was once again huge out of the leadoff spot, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three RBIs, but the biggest hit of the game came in the fourth inning when he launched a 450-foot home run to center field, his seventh of the season.
While Howell was leading the offensive charge for the Range Riders, it was Quigley who made sure to shut the door on any Hawks comeback attempt.
After starter Cullen Kafka struggled with command and walked four batters in four innings, Trevor Baker was brought in for relief in the fifth and immediately found himself in trouble.
With an 8-2 lead, Baker allowed hits to the first three batters, including a three-run home run by Troy Viola. The next two batters also reached base and the Hawks had the tying run at the plate with still no outs.
Quigley came in and struck out the next three batters to keep the Range Riders lead at 8-5. He finished the game, pitching five scoreless innings with no hits and striking out seven to earn the victory.
The Range Riders will have one more game against Boise to conclude the first half before returning home Tuesday to face the Missoula PaddleHeads, the team who clinched the top seed in the Pioneer League.
Glacier 311 210 000 - 8 14 0
Boise 020 030 000 - 5 17 0
Cullen Kafka, Trevor Baker (4), Montana Quigley (9) and Jerry Huntzinger. Mike Peterson (5), Cameron Dayton (7), Andrew Edwards (8), Blake McFadden (9) and Carter Sanford.
GLACIER RANGE RIDERS – Gabe Howell 4-5, Ty Penner 1-5, Christian Kirtley 1-4, Chad Castillo 3-5, Jerry Huntzinger 2-5, Andy Atwood 0-4, K. Johnson 0-3, JD McLaughlin 2-3, Ajay Sczepkowski 1-3.
BOISE HAWKS – Noah Marcelo 0-5, Carter Sanford 1-5, Micah Yonamine 2-5, Troy Viola 2-3, Patrick Merino 0-2, Joseph Kalafut 2-4, Tyler Jorgensen 0-4, Tyner Hughes 0-4, Max Jung-Goldberg 0-2.
2B – Castillo, Kirtley, Huntzinger 2. Sanford, Viola. HR – Howell (7). Viola (11). RBIs – Atwood, Johnson, Huntzinger, Castillo 2, Howell 3. Hughes, Jorgensen, Viola 3.