MISSOULA — Make it eight of the past 10.
The Missoula Osprey continued their hot streak with another Pioneer League Baseball victory in Ogren Park Allegiance Field Friday night. Missoula took down the last-place Orem Owlz for a third straight night, 6-3.
The Osprey broke open a tie game in the bottom of the seventh inning when Carson Maxwell doubled in Francis Martinez. Two batters later, Axel Andueza knocked in Maxwell to make it 5-3. Liover Peguero continued his strong season with an RBI single for some more insurance in the eighth.
The Os jumped out to a quick lead on a Spencer Brickhouse RBI double in the first. Kevin Watson added a towering two-run home run, his seventh of the season, to put Missoula up 3-0 in the fourth.
The Owlz scored all of their runs in the top of the fifth. Johan Sala hustled out an infield single that scored a run. Jeans Flores followed to drive in Sala and himself with his first home run of the season.
But outside of that fifth inning, Orem totaled only three hits. Osprey starter Austin Pope gave up only one hit and struck out five Owlz in two innings of work. Liu Fuenmayor entered in the sixth inning and, other than one walk, threw three perfect innings while also striking out five. Ryan Fritze struck out a couple in a perfect ninth inning.
The Osprey will swing for a four-game sweep of the Owlz at 7:05 p.m. Saturday in Missoula.