Fitzgerald Hits First Ever Range Rider Cycle in Blowout Victory

FLATHEAD VALLEY, MT. – Ben Fitzgerald became the first Glacier Range Rider (2-2) to hit for the cycle Friday night as the Range Riders used an 11-run inning to blow out the Oakland Ballers (2-2) by a score of 21-7.

Brady Held became the first Glacier starter to pick up a winning decision this season as the right hander hurled five innings allowing just two earned runs. Jerry Huntzinger fired the next three innings, tallying four strikeouts, while Cam Cowan notched a scoreless ninth.

The scoring came early and often for the Riders as Chad Castillo doubled home Christian Kirtley in the first, followed by Ben Fitzgerald knocking Castillo home on a double of his own. The flood gates burst open in the third inning as Glacier scored 11 runs, equalizing the largest scoring output in a single inning in franchise history. Fitzgerald had both a single and a three-run home run that inning to get a triple away from the cycle. When Fitzy tripled in the bottom of the seventh, it was all he needed to achieve one of the most difficult single game feats in baseball.

Fitzgerald finished 5-6 with six RBIs to lead the charge, Castillo and Kirtley each scored four runs, and every Range Rider position player participated in the game and reached base at least once successfully.

Glacier is back in action looking for their third straight win on Saturday night, when they host the Oakland Ballers again for first pitch at 7:05 PM.