Sand Puppies struggle to find groove at the plate

In the first game, the Sand Puppies struggled to put runs on the scoreboard until the fifth inning when they brought in two to make it a 3-2 ballgame in favor of the Oilers.

Casper added another run in the bottom of the fifth and two more in the sixth to secure the victory.

Parker Ross and Gunner Hamblin led the Sand Puppies at the plate. Each had two hits.

Ross went 2 for 4 with two RBI and striking out once. Hamblin went 2 for 3.

Ryan Powers, D’Andre Ricks and Thomas Murphy each had a base hit.

Dominik Gunyan got the start on the mound for the Sand Puppies. He pitched 5.2 innings, throwing 108 pitches. He allowed six runs on eight hits, striking out four and walking four.

Casper 15, Rock Springs 5

It was a tied ballgame after one inning in the second game of the doubleheader. Each team entered the second inning with two runs.

But the bats of the Oilers got hot in the bottom of the second inning, totaling eight runs to take a commanding 10-2 lead.

The Oilers added another four runs in the third and another in the fourth.

The Sand Puppies tried to creep their way back into it, bringing in three runs in the top of the fifth.

Powers, Gunyan and Ricks each went 1 for 2 for Rock Springs to lead the team at the plate.

Powers had three RBI, Gunyan scored a run, and Ricks had two RBI.

Powers and Ross were on the mound for the Sand Puppies.

Powers pitched one inning, allowing nine runs on nine hits and struck out one. Ross pitched three innings, allowing six runs on six hits and struck out two.

The Sand Puppies return to the diamond on Sunday, July 12, to take on the Laramie Rangers at home in a doubleheader. The first game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the second is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. at the Paul J Wataha Recreation Area.