Zephyrs fall on walk-off home run

Two-run blast lifts Wheatland to thrilling win

By JEREMY WOZNICK

Star-Herald Sports Reporter

WHEATLAND, Wyo. - Jake Montoya's walk-off, two-run home run in the

bottom of the seventh inning lifted the Wheatland Lobos to a 6-5 win

over the WESTCO Zephyrs in senior legion baseball action on Saturday

afternoon in Wheatland, Wyo.

Montoya hit a pair of home runs in the win for Wheatland.

"It was a tough way to lose a game," Zephyrs coach Mark Moran said.

"The wind was blowing out. He just got it up in the air and it went

out."

The game-winning homer came just after the Zephyrs erupted for three

runs in the top of the seventh to take a 5-4 lead.

Trailing 4-2 entering the inning, Zac Rada's pinch-hit double put two

Zephyrs in scoring position. Rada and Joe Huck both scored on a

Wheatland error to knot the contest at 4-4. Chase Wickard then

singled home Tyler Patrick with the go-ahead run.

It marked WESTCO's first lead since early in the game when Huck drew

a bases-loaded walk in the top of the first to give the Zephyrs a 1-0

advantage. Wheatland tied the game at 1-1 in the third before taking

the lead with a pair of runs in the fourth.

"It was a great comeback by our guys," Moran said. "Being down a

couple runs in the seventh, then fighting back and taking the lead

was great. It's just too bad we couldn't hang on."

Wickard took the loss on the mound. He struck out six and scattered

eight hits.

Offensively, Michael Hoppes went 2-for-4 and scored two runs. Nate

Goodwin finished the game going 2-for-3. Rada, Wickard and Garrett

Deeds all collected the other hits for the Zephyrs.

"I thought we played pretty well," Moran said. "Wheatland has a

really solid team. We had a couple balls go to the backstop that hurt

us, but other than that we played pretty well."

The teams were scheduled to play a second game. However, the game was

cancelled because of poor weather conditions. The Zephyrs held a 2-0

lead in the first inning before the game was called.

The Zephyrs, now 5-12 on the season, continue their three-week road

trip against Bellevue East on Monday in Omaha.

Zephyrs (5-12) 100 010 3 - 5 7 1

Wheatland 001 210 2 - 6 8 3

WP - Travis Geile; LP - Chase Wickard (2-2).

HR - Jake Montoya (2). 2B - Zac Rada.