Pictured: Roberto Gonzalez

The Great Falls Voyagers opened up their 6-game series against the Glacier Range Riders last night. The long ball was active last night for Glacier, contributing 5 of their 11 runs, in what was an 11-7 victory for the Range Riders.

Jeff Praml got the start for the Voyagers and Jonathan Pintaro got the nod for Glacier. Both offenses were going in what was a competitive game, Praml gave up 7 earned runs on 8 hits with 5 strikeouts and only 2 walks, and saw 24 batters in total. Pintaro had a very comparable night, going 5.1 innings, surrendering 7 earned runs, 8 hits, 10 strikeouts, no walks on 25 batters faced.

The scoring opened when Chad Castillo hit a deep shot out to right field in the top of the first. The Voyagers wasted no time getting themselves on the board, when Mahki Backstrom scored on a wild pitch, after doubling to open up the game. Glacier responded with more offense in the second and fourth, but back-to-back RBI doubles from Roberto Gonzalez gave the Voyagers a 5-4 lead through 4 innings.

It was a closely contested game throughout, however, the top of the 5th inning proved to be the difference maker in the game, as Glacier strung together a 7-run inning, with twelve total at bats in the inning and seven hits. Four of those seven runs for Glacier came by way of a John Daly grand slam that bounced off the Newberry sign in right-center field to give his team a 10-5 lead. Andy Atwood would add one more to the tally on a sacrifice fly before the inning ended.

The Voyagers were never able to tie the game back up despite their best efforts; they did manage to put up two more runs on the board from Gonzalez' RBI single (5 RBI last night) and Backstrom's RBI double in the 6th, but it wasn?t enough to get back in the game. Praml is given the loss, Pintaro gets the win, Glacier's relief pitcher Jack Lynch shuts the door in the 9th, final score 11-7.

The Voyagers play the Range Riders again for game 2 tonight at 7 PM, Washilewski is the anticipated starter.