Opening Day Domination Sets the Vibes on a Rocky Mountain High
The Rocky Mountain Vibes (1-0) grounded the Northern Colorado Owlz (0-1) in an Opening Day domination 15-3 on Tuesday night.
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – The Rocky Mountain Vibes (1-0) grounded the Northern Colorado Owlz (0-1) in an Opening Day domination 15-3 on Tuesday night.
Just about every gear turned in the right direction for the Vibes with every starting position player reaching base and scoring, but the bats were not the only factor jumping off the page from the big win. Starter Nick Powers set his personal professional record with 7.0 IP. He added to that milestone with another career-high of 10 Ks, finishing out with just one run allowed on five hits.
Supporting him in the bullpen were a couple of fellow southpaws. Caleb Strack allowed one run on one hit with one strikeout in the eighth inning. It was nearly a copy-and-paste outing for Tom Peltier in the ninth, except that the one run he allowed was unearned.
At the plate, the biggest performers came near both the front and back ends of the order. Center fielder Carter Booth led off the lineup with a 3-for-5 game, adding in a double and three RBIs. Right fielder Kellum Clark batted behind him with a 2-for-5 showing buoyed by a pair of doubles and an RBI. First baseman Will Butcher commanded the three-spot with the first home run of 2025 (424 ft. to dead center field) and a 2-for-6 line with five RBIs. Moving to the last third of the order, left fielder Stephen Wilmer hit seventh and reached base four times going 1-for-2 with two walks and a hit by pitch. Behind him, it was impossible to retire shortstop Garrett Kueber, finishing 3-for-3 with three RBIs, a double, and a pair of free passes.Rounding things out, second baseman Tristin Garcia wrapped up a 2-for-4 performance, reaching a third time on a walk.
Following a season in which Rocky Mountain recorded 30 separate performances with runs in double figures, a 15-run bashing is by no means out of the ordinary for a roster that kept roughly a third of its talent from 2024.
Next up, the Vibes and Owlz rematch, playing the second of the 12 games in which they meet to begin the season. The Rocky Mountain Pre-Game Show on Flo Baseball begins at 6:15 p.m. MDT with a 6:30 first pitch on Wednesday, May 21.
Jesse Cook
Tuesday, May 20
