Intermountain Baseball League - Presented by BigJdotcom01

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2024 PLAYOFF BRACKET

Phoenix, AZ (AP) - The 2024 Playoffs are here!

The playoffs will open up with two Wild Card matchups. In the Mountain League, Rio Rancho will host the Wild Card matchup against Fort Worth. In the Desert League, Mesa will host San Diego. San Diego will be making their first playoff appearance. Fort Worth and Mesa have each lost in the Wild Card round previously with Rio Rancho winning in last year's Wild Card over Santa Fe.

Scottsdale awaits the winner of Mesa-San Diego in the Divisional Round with Long Beach facing Chandler. In the Mountain League, the Wild Card winner will face El Paso, with Salt Lake taking on San Antonio.

San Antonio (2022) and Chandler (2023) will have a shot at winning a second Championship in 2024.

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ML WILD CARD: FORT WORTH (86-76) @ RIO RANCHO (91-71)
Stadium: Intel Field (Capacity: 5,796)

October 1: Owlz 3, Kings 2

Rio Rancho, NM (AP) - Rio Rancho took advantage of four Fort Worth errors to escape the Mountain League Wild Card game with a 3-2 victory over the Kings. A Ralph Cortez two-run double in the bottom of the eighth was the difference as the Owlz advance to take on top-seeded El Paso in the MLDS.

Fort Worth would grab an early lead in this one as Randy Klaus hit a solo home run to open the second inning. But the Owlz immediately responded with a run of their own, thanks to two errors from shortstop Roy Graham.

It would remain tied at 1-1 until the sixth inning. Pablo Feliz tripled to left to open the inning for the Kings. George Newman than hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Feliz and the Kings went up 2-1.

Kings ace Gabriel Carmona was excellent, tossing six innings and allowing the one run (unearned) on just four hits while striking out seven.

In the eighth, the Kings brought on Tony Caballero. He struck out Elvis Velasquez to open the inning, but then gave up a single to Zach Gallagher. He would get Danny Watson to bounce to second for what looked like an inning ending double play, but Terence Harris threw it away, allowing both runners to advance. Ralph Cortez then lined a two-run double to left center to put Rio Rancho up 3-2. All three of the Owlz runs in this game were unearned as the Kings made four errors, all by middle infielders.

In the ninth, closer Brian Lopez came on and struck out Randy Klaus. He then got the final two outs with Tim Ferreira popping out to third to end the game.

John Smith (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen, working a scoreless eighth inning. Starter Ryne Rodriguez pitched six innings, allowing two runs on five hits, while striking out three.

The Owlz will now advance to take on El Paso for the second straight year in the MLDS. The Owlz lost to the Express three games to one last season. The Desert League Wild Card is tomorrow evening with Mesa hosting San Diego.

Ralph Cortez's two-run double in the bottom of the eighth put Rio Rancho up 3-2.

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DL WILD CARD: SAN DIEGO (85-77) @ MESA (85-77)
Stadium: Meta Park (Capacity: 17,299)

October 2: Seals 4, Solar Sox 2

Mesa, AZ (AP) - Once again, the story of this game was errors as Mesa committed six errors and lost 4-2 to the San Diego Seals in the Desert League Wild Card game. Matt Campbell tossed seven plus innings, allowing two runs on three hits and striking out 12 to lead San Diego into the MLDS where they will face Scottsdale.

San Diego got on the board in the first on a sacrifice fly from Ray Landry that scored Ryan Bliss. They would add to that lead in the fifth, scoring twice on three Mesa errors. Danny Marlin reached to open the inning on a throwing error from John Nichols. Anirudh Gade then grounded to short in what looked like a routine double play ball. But Nichols threw it wide to second and then Frank Pennock thew the relay into the crowd, allowing Marlin to score and Gade to reach third. Ryan Bliss then hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0.

It would stay that way until the bottom of the eighth, when Willy Geronimo blasted a two-run home run off of Matt Campbell to cut the San Diego lead to 3-2. Godfrey de Graaf then doubled off of releiver Cecil Gellman and advanced to third on a fly out. But then a critical baserunning error by de Graaf after Frank Pennock struck out. Pennock ran to first on a dropped third strike and de Graaf tried scoring but was tagged out.

The Seals would add a big insurance run in the ninth on a Mark Mulder RBI single.

Closer Jimmy Madden came on and after hitting one batter, sent down the Solar Sox in order to presevre the win.

The six errors were a team record for Mesa, but three of the four San Diego runs were earned. Luke Palmer took the loss, pitching five innings and allowing two earned runs on seven hits, striking out six.

The Division Series are all setup now as San Diego will face Scottsdale and Long Beach will face Chandler in the Desert League Division Series. In the Mountain League, El Paso will face Rio Rancho, with Salt Lake facing the San Antonio Javelinas.

Matt Campbell struck out 12 as San Diego advanced to the MLDS.