Pint steady in pro debut with Grand Junction

Less than two months after graduating high school, Riley Pint passed his first test as a professional. 

The Rockies' first-round pick tossed two scoreless innings in his pro debut Friday night as Rookie-level Grand Junction fell to Idaho Falls, 5-4, at Melaleuca Field.

 "It was an awesome night," Pint said. "I felt like I just had to go out there and be myself, but it was kind of hard to do being my first start and all that. There were definitely some nerves at the beginning, but I think I handled it well. After the first couple pitches, I feel like I stated to settle in a little bit."

Pint gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Luke Willis, who took second on a sacrifice. But the 18-year-old right-hander got Yeison Melo to bounce out before Willis was caught stealing third base to end the inning.

The 6-foot-4, 192-pound Kansas native struck out two in a 1-2-3 second and ended his first night in the Pioneer League after 23 pitches.

"[After that single and sacrifice], I was thinking that I just needed to calm down and focus on delivering each pitch one at a time," Pint said. "I felt like I had a pretty good feel for the zone all day. I knew if I could make a pitch, I'd get a ground ball, which I ended up getting, even though it was hard hit. Colton Welker at third base helped me out there."

Pint, who was selected fourth overall out of St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, has a fastball that sits in the high-90s and has been clocked as high as 102 mph. He was finally deployed on the hill after going through Rockies throwing programs to get him ready for game action with Grand Junction.

His pitching instructors told him they didn't want him to change a thing.

"I threw a couple bullpens and I threw live batting practice," Pint said. "Everything was good. They just wanted to build me up after I had taken a few weeks off after the [high school season]. I just had to do a couple of things and then I was ready to go.

"They told me to go out there and just be me. I feel like I'm best when I'm like that. They told me to do what I do, and that's what I did today."

Pint exited with a 1-0 cushion and the Rockies took a 4-3 lead into the bottom of the ninth. But Idaho Falls' Nick Heath capped a two-hit night with a two-run walk-off triple off reliever Kenny Oakley.

Chukars starter Jace Vines gave up two runs on three hits while striking out three over four innings. Alex Luna (2-0) got the win after holding Grand Junction to two runs -- one earned -- on eight hits and a walk over five frames.

Jose Gomez and Steven Leonard both went 3-for-4 and scored twice for the Rockies.