Welcome everybody to the Keeping Score podcast from the Daily Inter Lake and Hagadone Sports Network, I am your new host Josh Amick. This episode I will be breaking down all things Range Riders, from the weekly recap of scores, new player acquisitions, and what is on the horizon for the team, so let’s get right into it.

The Range Riders opened up the week on the road against the Great Falls Voyagers, who are currently sitting at the bottom of the standings in the Pioneer League. After dropping the first game of the series, the Range …

Welcome everybody to the Keeping Score podcast from the Daily Inter Lake and Hagadone Sports Network, I am your new host Josh Amick. This episode I will be breaking down all things Range Riders, from the weekly recap of scores, new player acquisitions, and what is on the horizon for the team, so let’s get right into it.

The Range Riders opened up the week on the road against the Great Falls Voyagers, who are currently sitting at the bottom of the standings in the Pioneer League. After dropping the first game of the series, the Range Riders bounced back and took the next two to win the series and improve their record to 13-8.

In the first game Tuesday, the Range Riders welcomed a new player to the team, Ajay Szcepkowski, an outfielder from Georgia Gwinnett and the NAIA 2023 player of the year. Ajay was also the first player in NAIA history to record 30 home runs and steal 30 bases. He impressed in his Pioneer League debut, going 2-for-5 while playing left field.

The Range Riders took a 9-5 lead heading into the bottom of the eighth inning when things began to unravel. The Voyagers would only record four hits in the inning, but a walk, accompanied by some wild pitches allowed the Voyagers to put up six runs to take the lead 11-9. The Range Riders would score a run in the top of the ninth but would lose the game 11-10. Mason Dinesen would homer for the fifth time this season and catcher Jerome Huntzinger hit his first of the year.

Wednesday was an electric night for the Range Riders as they welcomed another player from Georgia Gwinnett, outfielder Blaze O’Saben. Blaze was the 2024 NAIA player of the year and won a National Championship with the team in 2021. Also on Wednesday, the greatest rule in all of Pioneer League baseball came into effect when the Range Riders and Voyagers were all tied up after 9 innings. Unlike MLB, when the game is tied after nine played there isn’t any extra innings, instead each team selects a home run hitter to compete in the knockout round. Each batter is given two minutes to hit as many home runs as possible and the Range Riders’ Chad Castillo hit 5 compared to his counterpart Livinston Morris, a former Range Riders’ who only hit two. They would win the game 10-9.

In the final game of the series the Range Riders bats exploded for 18 runs, 9 of them coming in the 9th inning on home runs from Mason Dinesen, his team leading sixth homerun of the year and newcomer Ajay Szcepkowski hit a grand slam for his first career Pioneer League home run. Nick Zenga picked up the win after five innings of three run ball and struckout 7 batters in the 18-3 win.

The Range Riders returned home to Glacier Bank Park on Friday, to welcome the Idaho Falls Chukars and their 6-15 record. They jumped out to an early 11-2 lead with 4 runs in the second and seven in the third, capped off by Gavin Tonkel’s fifth homerun of the season. In the fifth inning, Christian Kirltey hit a three-run homerun, his sixth of the year to tie teammate Mason Dinesen as the team leader to take a 14-7 lead. They would win the first game of the series with a final score of 15-7.

Saturday night was a rough outing for the Range Riders. They found themselves in an early hole down 7-2 after three innings. After starter Kaleb Sophy was removed, Trevor Baker came in and pitched five scoreless innings to keep the game close. Mason Dinesen tacked on his team leading home run total, hitting two solo shots for his seventh and eight of the year, with his eighth cutting the lead to 7-4. That would be all the scoring the Range Riders would get as the Chukars scored six more in the top of the 9th to put the game out of reach, 13-4.

On Sunday, the Range Riders wasted no time, coming out hot in the first inning with five quick runs, capped off by a two-run RBI double by Nick Block. The Chukars would come back in the top of the second with a two-run home run by Brett Barrera and a solo shot from Tyler Wyatt to cut the lead to 5-3. Then in the bottom of the third inning, the Range Riders bats exploded again with RBI doubles by Fitzgerald and Block again before Andy Atwood blasted a hanging change-up over the left field wall to drive in three. But they weren’t done there, Dinesen would double home a run and two fielder choice RBIs busted the game wide open 14-3. Tyler Wyatt would homer again for Idaho, driving in two and the final score was 14-5 for a lovely Father’s Day and series win. After the game the team dumped an ice bucket on manager Paul Fletcher as he celebrated with his son in the post game interview so that was a nice moment.

So that was the weekly scoring recap but here is some other Range Riders news, you might have missed.

As mentioned before, the Range Riders welcomed two new players from Georgia Gwinnett, Ajay Szcepkowski and Blaze O’Saben but that is not all. They also brought in left-handed pitcher Tyler Clayton to bolster up the roster, no confirmation yet on if Clayton will be used as a starter or a reliever. This may seem like a coincidence that three players from the same NAIA school all agreed to terms with the Range Riders but it is far from it. Manager Paul Fletcher was a coach on Georgia Gwinnett and the players liked the idea of playing for Fletch and extending their baseball careers after college in the Pioneer League. Fletcher also told me that all three players fit a team need and believes that their work ethic will translate well to the Range Riders. They also added catcher Nick Gore who previously played for New Mexico state and made the 2023 ALL-WAC defensive team. This move came at the right time as catcher Drew Sims was placed on the injured-list and catcher Jerry Huntzinger went back to his natural position of relief pitcher. So great job by Jerry filling in a team need when the Range Riders were down to one catcher and even hit a home run for the team.

The Range Riders can put up runs with the best of them. Only one game this week they didn’t score in double figures and that was Saturday’s loss. No doubt the new acquisitions should help this team both on offense and the basepaths. Hitting coach Stu Pederson believes that for the team to maintain success the pitchers have to continue to throw strikes and good things happen. In Saturday’s loss Sophy walked 5 batters in 2 ⅓ innings and the team lost. Sunday’s starter Brady Held only allowed two walks in six innings and the team won easily.

That is it for this week's Range Riders Recap. They will begin a six-game series at home against the Great Falls Voyager beginning on Tuesday, so make sure you get to the ballpark and support the team as they are currently just one game out of a top 2 playoff spot. Thank you for joining me and listening to Keeping Score from the Daily Inter Lake and the Hagadone Sports Network. I have been your host Josh Amick and until next time, take care.