Welcome everybody to the Keeping Score podcast from the Daily Inter Lake and Hagadone Sports Network, I am Josh Amick. This week on the Range Riders recap I will discuss what has gone wrong with the team since the break, what to look forward to and how the Range Riders could get back on track before hitting the road and as always, some new faces to the team. So, let’s get into it.

The Range Riders opened their first home series of the second half against the Boise Hawks for a six-game series and things did not start well. …

Welcome everybody to the Keeping Score podcast from the Daily Inter Lake and Hagadone Sports Network, I am Josh Amick. This week on the Range Riders recap I will discuss what has gone wrong with the team since the break, what to look forward to and how the Range Riders could get back on track before hitting the road and as always, some new faces to the team. So, let’s get into it.

The Range Riders opened their first home series of the second half against the Boise Hawks for a six-game series and things did not start well. The Hawks jumped out to a 10-0 lead, before the Range Riders responded with two runs. It would be all they scored as they lost the game 14-2. After spending 3 out of 4 series on the road, manager Paul Fletcher believed the team might be facing some mid-season fatigue, let’s take a listen.

In their next game, the Range Riders struggled once again, plating seven hits but didn’t have any RBIs. The only run scored for the Range Riders came in the first inning on a double play that scored a run. They were shutout the next 8 innings and dropped game two 6-1.

Game 3, the Range Riders offense was powered by one man and one man only. JD McLaughlin hit two home runs in the game, a solo shot and a two-run shot and that would be the only runs scored by the Range Riders as they dropped the game 5-3. It was JD’s third and fourth home runs of the season.

Friday was another poor performance from the offense as they only had three team hits and lost their fourth straight game and fifth overall, 8-2.

In game 5 the Range Riders offense showed up, plating six runs but unfortunately the Hawks scored 11and won for the fifth straight time. The Range Riders had 13 team hits, but only three of those were for extra-base hits and they didn’t homer once. Hitting coach Stu Pederson offered advice on the issues with some players may be.

In the final game of the series the Range Riders were blown out 15-3 as the Hawks hit six home runs. The Range Riders hit a few home runs of their own in the fifth inning, Ben Fitzgerald hit his 6th home run of the season and a newcomer Antonio Barranca hit his first home run with the team, more to come on that later.

That’s it for the Range Riders recap, obviously a rough couple of weeks for the team winning once in their 12 games. In my opinion what has gone wrong with the Range Riders is a matter of who they are playing on the schedule and a lack of hitting, especially hitting for power. They opened the second half of the season on the road against the best team in the Pioneer League and had moments where they were in most of those ballgames, but one inning would be the difference.

So far in the second half the team with the best record is the Boise Hawks. Granted 6 of their 10 wins have come against the Range Riders but they also finished the first half of the season with the 4th best record. In their series against Boise, manager Paul Fletcher alluded to the team being tired as to why their legs aren’t underneath them. No legs or energy equals no stolen bases, no driving the ball out of the park or extra-base hits, all categories of Range Riders baseball.

Also mentioned, they aren’t hitting the ball out of the ballpark. In their first 11 games of the second half only Christian Kirtley had homered, and JD McLaughlin had a game where he homered twice but that has been it. The good news for the Range Riders, Ben Fitzgerald homered on Sunday and seems to be getting healthy again and newcomer Antonio Barranco hit his first home run of the season with the Range Riders which leads to me to this week’s edition of in case you missed it.

After the tough start to the second half the team needed some reinforcements not only because of the grueling schedule but the team needed a spark. Pitchers Cam Cowan and Tyler Clayton were both placed on the injured list, which led to the Range Riders signing pitcher Ricky Tibbett. Tibbett played at San Diego state and UC Irvine and in his lone appearance with the Range Riders so far, he threw 2 1/3 shutout innings against Boise.

They also signed outfielder River Orsak who played at Lamar University in Texas, and in three games with the team he is 3-for-10. Here is what River had to say about his experience since joining the team.

Antonio Barranca has been a welcomed addition, in two games with the team he is 3-for-5 with one of those hits being a homerun. Some much-needed firepower for this offense as they turn their attention to Billings for a six-game series on the road, looking to snap their seven-game losing streak.

That’s it for this week’s edition of the Range Riders recap, follow our social media pages at the Daily Inter Lake for behind-the-scenes Range Riders content and exclusive interviews. For the Keeping Score podcast, I am Josh Amick and until next time, take care.