Northern Colorado Owlz defeated Rocky Mountain Vibes 12-9 after setting up holds

Phew, the Northern Colorado Owlz breathe a sigh of relief after holding their lead.

The Owlz (19-30 overall, 2-2 second half) defeated Rocky Mountain (17-33 overall, 2-2 second half) 12-9 on their return to Greeley.

They’ve been struggling to hold the eighth-place lead lately, giving up two straight losses due to late-game problems, but were able to hold on to the win on Friday.

Northern Colorado went 2-0 thanks to RBI singles from shortstop Kevin Higgins and second baseman Brandon Crosby. It recorded five hits in the first half of the innings of work.

The Vibes scored a four in a rocky third inning for the Owlz pitching staff. They scored with a single, a sacrifice fly, and an RBI double.

In typical fashion, the Owlz bats were ready to go in the lower part of the frame. Four singles, a walk and the help of a wild pitch pushed three runs over to give Northern Colorado their lead back.

The team then extended that lead in the next inning. Left fielder Matt Turner led the team with a brace and moved up to third with a pass. First baseman Ty Lewis overran Turner, then a double from Crosby and a single from center fielder Cameron Phelts gave the Owlz an 8-4 advantage.

But wait, there was more. NoCo finished fourth after allowing Rocky Mountain to bring home a run. Catcher Robbie Kellerman drew a step to start the fifth, advancing on a wild pitch. Hitter-designate Alex Jackson continued his hot hitting with a home run, his second in four games.

Turner played singles and Bouchard doubled to put the runners in goal position. Then Higgins contributed another extra base hit that brought Turner home and hit Bouchard on the toss. The Owlz were sitting pretty comfortably at 12-5.

Of course, despite their start to the season, the Vibes are not a team to rely on. The lead batter in the sixth launched a solo home run over the fence, then Northern Colorado loaded the bases with a single and two walks. Another run scored after the defense missed a double play opportunity.

Rocky Mountain cut the game uncomfortably close at the top of seventh and added two runs.

Luckily, the home team was able to fend off the danger.

Kyle Adkins gave up a leadoff walk in eighth but was able to force a groundout double play and Crosby jumped up to grab the lineout.

Eventually, Christian Griffin extended his perfect save streak to four games. He threw himself in ninth place alone, but forced a flyout and groundout double play to end the contest.

The Owlz finished the season with a season-high 20 hits, clean shooting and eight stranded links. Pitching-wise, they recorded four strikeouts and six walks.

Four players had at least three hits. Turner went 3-of-4 with three carries while Higgins and Jackson finished 3-of-5 with three RBIs each.

Rocky Mountain’s final stat line included 14 hits, one miss and left eight on base. His bullpen managed nine strikeouts, two walks, three wild pitches and one hit by pitch.

The Owlz and Vibes play at Jackson Field in Greeley on Saturday at 4:05 p.m.