JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — The Jackson Giants (16-12) returned to earth ysterday after dropping a pair of games with the Gillette Roughriders (24-9). Post 43 was riding a 4-game winning streak headed into the twinbill but the conference-leading Riders pitched the Giants’ bat silent Tuesday night.
Gillette 2, Jackson 1
For all the high-powered offense both teams possessed going into Tuesday’s double-dip, it was pitching that ruled the night. Jackson’s Aaron Huggins and Gillette’s Leighton Holden were locked in an old fashion pitchers’ duel as both teams struggled to produce offense.
Holden blinked first when Mason Wright led off the 2nd inning with a double down the leftfield line. Back-to-back bunts (both beauties) by Huggins and Matt Fisher got the speedy Wright home for the Giants lone run.
Gillette answered immediately in their half of the 3rd as Huggins struggled with his control until a 2-run single by Jamen Kolata put the Riders in the lead for good.
Holden went the distance for Gillette, striking out 7 and walking 3. He surrendered just 3 hits—the double to Wright and singles to Fisher and Huggins.
Huggins was saddled with the loss. He tossed 6 innings, surrendering 5 hits and striking out 4. He walked 4 and hit 3 batters. Mason Wright looked sharp in 1 inning of relief.
Gillette 9, Jackson 0
The nightcap was much closer than the final score would indicate as the two teams were locked up in another low-scoring pitchers’ contest—Gillette’s ace Jason Fink and Jackson’s Ethan Garner.
The game was scoreless though 3 until the Riders plated 2 in the 4th inning and another pair in the 5th to chase Garner. Garner was tagged with the loss (5I, 5H, 4R, 1K, 1BB). Wright again came on in relief but Gillette batters appeared to have figured him out by then, jumping on the reliever for 5 more runs.
Fink, meanwhile, threw an economical 89 pitches through 6 innings, surrendering just 3 hits while fanning 8. Grayson Sargent worked the final inning of relief.
Jackson managed just 4 hits—a pair each from Trayson Kostial and Matt Fisher.
The Giants also committed an uncharacteristic 5 errors in a late-game meltdown.
Next up
The takeaway, according to assistant coach Jerry Moore is the improvement Post 43 showed against a perennial powerhouse.
“A year or two ago, when Gillette came to town, it was a laugher. We couldn’t play with these guys and they knew it,” Moore said. “Now, we’ve taken a big step. We are in games with them with a chance to win. The next step is learning how to close out these tight ones and come away with a victory. It’s coming.”
Jackson falls to 16-12 on the season as they head to Pocatello Saturday for a doubleheader with the Runnin’ Rebels.
