This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Pat Valaika scored on a passed ball in the seventh inning, leading the Albuquerque Isotopes to a 7-4 win over the Salt Lake Bees on Thursday.

The play capped a two-run inning and gave the Isotopes a 5-4 lead after Raimel Tapia scored on a ground out earlier in the inning.

The Isotopes extended their lead in the eighth when Tapia hit a two-run double.

Salt Lake scored in the top of the first inning in the season opener for both teams thanks to a Ryan LaMarre RBI double, but the Isotopes scored three runs in their first at-bat of the season to take a 3-1 lead.

Salt Lake was able to get five hits in the top of the third inning to score three runs and retake the lead at 4-3 before the Isotopes rallied in the seventh and eighth innings.

LaMarre finished with two hits, a RBI and a run for the Bees. Rey Navarro and Eric Young Jr. both had two hits apiece for Salt Lake as well at the plate.

Alex Meyer was the starter for Salt Lake and went five innings, allowing five hits and three runs.Bees reliever Cody Ege took the loss, allowing two runs (one earned) in relief.

Tebow homers in first at-bat as minor leaguer

Tim Tebow hit a home run in his first official at-bat as a New York Mets minor leaguer, a charmed start Thursday night for a popular yet polarizing athlete who seems to have a knack for these remarkable moments.

Playing a sport where many thought he didn't even belong in the batter's box, the former NFL quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner launched a two-run drive for the Columbia Fireflies in a Class A South Atlantic League game against Augusta. It was his only hit in five plate appearances.

With a 15 mph wind blowing out, Tebow hit a shot over the 372-foot sign in left-center field. He stopped at second base, thinking it was a double — but the ball hit a railing above the fence at the Bojangles Berm, and an umpire twirled his hand to indicate it was a homer.

Tebow homered off Augusta lefty Domenic Mazza, a 22-year-old who had an 11-3 career record in the minors after playing at UC Santa Barbara. Mazza was the 666th pick in the 2015 draft.

In Tebow's second at-bat, he couldn't beat out a slow roller to the shortstop. He struck out the next three times up — two of them looking.

Tebow was batting seventh for the Fireflies and starting in left field in a league that typically uses 21- or 22-year-olds early in their pro careers. In the Fireflies merchandise shop, employees were restocking the racks with the Tebow jerseys well into the night.