Arizona Ridge Riders: 88 / Missouri Thunder: 87.75
LAS VEGAS – With the final direct berth to the second round of the inaugural PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Team Series Championship on the line, the No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders narrowly persevered against the No. 6 Missouri Thunder Friday night, beating their Missouri rivals by a slim 0.25 points to remain in the hunt for the first team bull riding national title.
Riding in the lead-off position, Adriano Salgado (Batatais, Brazil) was out first for the Thunder. Salgado wasted no time and conquered Hurts So Good (David Wolfe) for 87.75 points to give the Thunder an early lead. In the bottom of the frame, the Ridge Riders could not respond as the team’s opener Vitor Losnake (Bauru, Brazil) was bested by Dagger (Dakota Rodeo/Chad Berger) in 3.38 seconds.
Keen to continue the team’s momentum, the Thunder’s Marcelo Procopio Pereira (Rinopolis, Brazil) could not convert on The Undertaker (Cornwell Bucking Bulls/Riley Bucking Bulls/PCP Bucking Bulls), brought down in a quick 2.59 seconds.
With the chance to overtake the lead in the bottom of the second, the Ridge Riders looked to Eduardo Aparecido (Gouvelandia, Brazil), who matched up with High Country Hitman (High Country Solutions/JR Phillips). Aparecido was a picture of near perfection atop the powerful animal athlete, logging the team’s first qualified ride for 88 points. Compliments of the score, the Ridge Riders edged into the lead by a mere 0.25 points.
The scoreboard then went unchanged through the third and fourth, setting up a high-pressure fifth. Riding in the top of the frame, Thunder closer Colten Fritzlan (Rifle, Colorado) was in a must-ride position. Fritzlan, however, was unable to deliver for his team, dispatched by Ivy League (Jane Clark/Gene Owen) in 4.96 seconds, handing the victory to Arizona. While the Ridge Riders could not convert in their final out, with Luciano De Castro (Guzolandia, Brazil) deemed to have slapped Bullet Train (People’s Cattle) at the 3.43-second mark, their second-frame score proved enough to earn the team’s first postseason game win.
The Ridge Riders advanced to the second round of the 2022 PBR Team Series Championship, scheduled to play the No. 2 Texas Rattlers, presented by Ariat, while the Missouri Thunder looked to rebound and remain in the tournament via the Last Chance Game.
When competition continues on Saturday, November 8, the following teams will face off:
No. 1 Austin Gamblers vs. No. 8 Nashville Stampede
No. 2 Texas Rattlers vs. No. 5 Arizona Ridge Riders
No. 3 Oklahoma Freedom vs. No. 4 Carolina Cowboys
Last Chance Game (Game 1 Loser vs. Game 2 Loser vs. Game 3 Loser)
The 2022 PBR Team Series Championship continues Saturday, November 5, at 7:45 p.m. PT.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer replays of all the PBR Team Series action from Las Vegas. Check https://pluto.tv/en/live-tv/pbr-ridepass for the latest programming schedule.