By Brigham Prince
The Provo Angels remain unbeaten in the second half of the season after crushing the Casper Rockies 14-7 on Tuesday, July 29.
Rockies starter Juan Morillo didn''t last through the first inning as the Angels roughed him up for six runs on four hits to take the early lead. Morillo didn''t help himself by walking three.
The Rockies bullpen wasn''t able to stop the damage as the Angels scored eight more times, pounding out 16 hits over the course of the game.
Catcher Mike Collins, who went 4-for-5 with two singles, a double and a triple, led the Angels offensively. Collins drove in two and scored twice. Right fielder Blake Balkcom also had a big game driving in four runs on three hits.
Trailing 14-3 in the ninth inning, the Rockies were able to score four off Angels pitcher Hector Astacio, who continues to struggle. Astacio gave up four runs on six hits in one inning of work. Astacio''s ERA for the season is now an astounding 12.73. Astacio''s problems continue to baffle the Angels coaching staff.
'The only way he is going to get better is to keep running him out there,' said Tom Kotchman, Angels'' manager. 'We just try and look for something positive.'
Angels pitcher Abel Moreno picked up his seventh win of the season, giving up only one run over six innings and striking out six. Moreno''s 7-0 record is tops in the Pioneer League while his 2.52 ERA ranks fifth.
The Angels'' improved to 3-0 in the second half of the season while the Rockies fell to 1-2.
The Angels and Rockies continue to square off Friday, August 1, with the four-game series wrapping up on Saturday.