A Night of Firsts Fuel a Record-Breaking Opening Night Win for the Range Riders

GREAT FALLS, Mont.- The Glacier Range Riders started 2026 in style with 15 hits and a franchise record 13 walks in a dominant 14-2 victory over the Great Falls Voyagers on Tuesday night at Voyagers Stadium. Not only was it a successful night for the team as a whole, but three different Range Riders notched their first career professional hits, Carson Garner hit his first pro home run, and Jonah Giblin grabbed his first win in the professional ranks.

Donovan Ratfield led the offensive surge with a perfect 3-for-3 performance at the plate, collecting singles in the second, fifth, and seventh innings while also driving in a pair of runs. JD McLaughlin also recorded three hits, highlighted by a two-run homer during a six-run seventh inning that broke the game open.

The Range Riders struck first in the second inning when Tommy Rover ripped a two-run double to give Glacier an early advantage. That was the first hit of the Youngstown State product's career. They added two more runs in the third as Garner launched his solo home run to center field, a 487-foot blast, before Ratfield brought home another run with a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-0.

After the Voyagers cut into the deficit, Glacier erupted for six runs in the seventh inning. McLaughlin's two-run blast started the rally before Ratfield added an RBI single later in the frame. The Range Riders also capitalized on a Great Falls error and a fielder's choice RBI from Jacob Steele during the inning. McLaughlin capped the scoring with another RBI single.

Giblin earned the win for Glacier after allowing just two runs — both unearned — across 5.2 innings of work. The Arizona State alum scattered five hits while striking out three and walking two. Davis Pratt closed out the game in relief, picking up a three-inning save, while Jacob Hasty also contributed out of the bullpen with a crucial final out of the sixth inning.

Rover finished 2-for-6 with a team-high three RBIs, while Garner and Steele each added multi-hit performances. Jake Millan showcased patience at the plate with franchise single-game record five walks as the Range Riders showed their discipline at the plate throughout the night.

For Great Falls, Aidan Redahan paced the offense with two hits, while Tommy Specht and Kyle Schmack each drove in a run.

The Voyagers and Range Riders are back at it on Wednesday night, where Zach Longshore gets his first professional start. First pitch is set for 6:30 PM, stream or listen to all games in the GoRangeRiders app, or watch the game live on the Glacier Range Riders YouTube channel.