The crowd was packed in last night for a special Independence Day treat. After the rain postponed yesterday's game, our July 4th celebration became a double header, with each game being 7 innings. The Voyagers went into the double header with a 6-game win streak. They won the final 5 games in their series against the Billings Mustangs, and won game one against Glacier.

Danny Galvan started game one for Great Falls against Cooper Benson. The Voyagers opened up the scoring in the first inning thanks to an RBI triple from Mahki Backstrom, who leads the Pioneer League in extra base hits. The Range Riders and Cooper Benson would respond, though. Benson threw three consecutive scoreless innings, and the Range Riders? bats put up a couple runs in the 3rd and 4th to give their team a 2-1 lead.

That was when 2B Christian Kirtley stepped in with two on base. Kirtley continued his hot streak, homering to left field and giving his team a 5-1 lead in the top of the 5th.

The Voyagers then did what the Voyagers have been doing a whole lot lately. They didn?t blink, and came right back in the bottom of the 5th with a vengeance. Major led off with a triple, and Washington walked when Mahki Backstrom stepped to the plate. Backstrom swung at the first pitch he saw, and he launched a moonshot out to right field. It was a no-doubter that Backstrom said was the furthest he has ever hit. The ball was going 113 MPH off the bat, and it went a projected 480 feet. Backstrom knew it was a home run the moment he made contact, and he took an extra second to appreciate it before waltzing around the bases. This brought the Voyagers right back into it, the score was 5-4 Glacier.

Later that same inning, Hylan Hall reached on a single when newcomer Oscar Serratos Jr. stepped up to the plate. In his 5th professional game, Serratos Jr. smacked a 1-0 fastball out to left-center for a go ahead two run homer. This was his first professional home run, and it could not have come at a better time.

These were the final runs scored of the game by either team. Galvan gets the W in his fourth appearance, going 5 innings, giving up 6 hits and 4 earned runs. Jose Torrealba comes in for two more solid innings of work, and is credited with another save. Final score of game one was 6-5 Voyagers.

Pictured: Ryan Major(left) Freddy Rojas Jr (middle) and Oscar Serratos Jr (right)

Game two was underway at 9:10 PM, Nate Madej for the Voyagers dueled against Tyler Clayton for the Range Riders. Neither pitcher had their best performance in game 2, Clayton only getting through three innings and Madej getting to the 4th. Madej got himself out of a bases loaded situation in the first, but McLaughlin began the scoring in game two with an RBI single that drove in Ben Fitzgerald in the second.

The Voyagers would come back swinging in the bottom of the third. Freddy Rojas Jr. had a two- RBI single, followed by an RBI triple from Oscar Serratos Jr. had the Voyagers up 3-1 after three innings.

This would be the last time the Voyagers had the lead last night, however, as the Range Riders put up a five-run top of the 4th inning. The Range Riders executed good base running and smart plate appearances, and were able to capitalize. Gabe Howell cleared the loaded bases with an RBI triple to give his team the lead.

Pineda and Gannaway both have respectable relief appearances, final score of game two was 8-3. The two teams have three games remaining in the series, all at Glacier. Game 4 starts tonight at 7 PM, Nick Marshall is the anticipated starter for Great Falls.