Osprey finish first half of season

The Missoula Osprey finished the first half of their season not in the best of ways. They lost to the Billings Mustangs 6-3 at home in Ogren Park Allegiance Field in front of 2,502 fans.

They finished the first half of the season with a 13-24 record, which was nine games out of first place. However, the great thing about the rookie league is that you get fresh half season to try and make the postseason. 

Missoula Osprey update

The Missoula Osprey have won four of their last six games, including an 8-4 victory on Monday over the Orem Owlz. They lost last night though, 12-10. They're still in last place of the division, sitting at 12-17, just five games out from first.

If you want more information, you can head to their website here.

Eric Groff is kind of awesome

Yesterday, Missoula's Eric Groff became the first Osprey play to hit three home runs in one game as his team defeated the Orem Owlz 8-6.

MISSOULA, MT - Eric Groff made Missoula Osprey history and drove in the game-winning runs all in one swing on Friday at Ogren Park Allegiance Field, in front of 2,551 witnesses.

Groff hit his third home run of the game with a man on and two out in the bottom of the seventh inning, snapping a 6-all tie and giving the Osprey an 8-6 win over the Orem Owlz. It gives the Osprey (10-15) its first series win against the Owlz since 2006, and it's only the fourth time they have beaten the Orem franchise since they started in Provo in 2001.

Four series wins against a team in nine years? Yikes, talk about getting a monkey off your back.

Missoula Osprey rally past Owlz

Alright let's start covering the one minor league baseball team in the area. I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff and I love the free giveaways.

The Missoula Osprey got their rally caps on and scored five runs in the eighth to beat the Orem Owlz 8-7 on Thursday night.

Roberto Rodriguez beat out an infield hit with two out that scored both Fidel Pena and Raul Navarro in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a 6-6 tie and cap the rally.

Adam Eaton and Eric Groff led off the inning with singles, and Bobby Stone - who had three of Missoula's 14 hits - followed that with a bloop single to center that brought home Eaton. Richie Rowland then delivered a sacrifice fly, and Jae Yun Kim singled down the left-field line, scoring Stone and tying the game at 6-all.

Following a Fidel Pena walk, Raul Navarro singled to center. Kim tried to score on the hit, but was thrown out at the plate. Chris Jarrett then walked to load the bases for Rodriguez, who hustled down the line on a chopper to second and beat the throw to first. Pena scored on the hit, and Navarro raced all the way around from second and beat the throw home to give the Osprey their first lead of the game.

The rally was enough to give Justin Albert (2-0) the win, after he scattered four hits and struck out a pair of batters. Victor Lara hung on after allowing a run to get two strikeouts, including a called strike three on catcher Hampton Tignor to end the game and pick up his first save.

That improved their record to 9-15, four games back for the Pioneer League North Standings.