By Richard Devine
Bolstered by a dominating pitching performance from Jason Dennis, the Provo Angels returned home with a 7-0 triumph over the Great Falls Dodgers.
At the game on Wednesday, July 11, Dennis opened the night hurling no hit baseball through the first three innings. The Dodgers opened the fourth inning with a chopping infield hit and a bloop single just escaping the diving reach of second baseman Dale Johnson.
With two men on and no outs, Dennis snuffed the rally by calmly retiring the next three batters.
Dennis cruised through the next three innings without giving up a hit. In seven innings, he gave up two hits with eight strikeouts.
Cliff Smith pitched the eighth and ninth innings, icing the game on no hits and one strikeout.
Angel Manager, Tom Kotchman, said that Dennis” start was encouraging since the young pitcher had struggled in his previous outing against the Dodgers.
Dennis enjoyed the luxury of breathing room as the Angels opened a 5-0 lead by the third inning.
Two runs were credited to Sam Swenson, who continued his hot swinging, knocking a two-run homer to pace the Angels early. The dinger placed was Swenson”s seventh making him the Pioneer League leader.
Kotchman was happy to get the early run support facing a tough Dodger pitching staff.
“Their entire team is extremely athletic, and their pitching staff is very talented. I can see them being in the race at the end of the season,” he said.
Kotchman said the team could afford to be aggressive with the bats early since a cloud cover removed the usually prohibiting shadows from the field.
The Angels got a glimpse at the potential of the Dodger”s pitching talent as Edgar Lizarraga entered the fifth inning in relief of starter Andres Astacio.
Lizarraga mixed speeds and dispatched a slew of bewildered Angels in the fifth and six innings.
Greg Porter finally solved the Lizarraga riddle lining a solo homerun to right center in the seventh inning.
Kotchman said that Porter, who now has five homeruns, has the makeup of a homerun hitter.
Porter also has the makeup of a college football tight end. He will leave the team in August to join the Aggies of Texas A&M. Kotchman said that Porter needs to get all the at-bats he can in order to maintain his development.
The Angels continue the three-game set with the Dodgers on July 12, at 7:05 p.m. Fans will enjoy “Thirsty Thursday” with price discounts on soft drinks.
