Vibes Battle Back to Avoid Sweep in 10-9 Victory Thursday
Late Lead Evaporates In 10-9 Loss For Missoula on Thursday
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
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0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 14 | 2 |
Missoula MT- Both teams would lead multiple times in the contest on Thursday evening in the series finale between the PaddleHeads and Vibes at Allegiance Field. After grabbing the lead in the early innings, Rocky Mountain would take the lead for the first time in the middle frames. Missoula would have a rebuttal of their own in the sixth grabbing the lead back behind a big rally. This set up a tight battle down the stretch of the final 3 innings. In the end, the game would come down to one call made at third base in the bottom of the 9th.
With Missoula trailing 10-9, McClain O'Conner would lace a ball down the left field line to lead off the inning. Instead of stopping at second, O'Conner would make the turn and try to make it to third. On an extremely close play at the bag, O'Conner was called out on a tag made by third baseman Carson Maxwell after a discussion from the umpires on the field. Missoula would never mount a threat during the rest of the inning allowing the Vibes to escape with a win 10-9 to avoid the sweep.
The PaddleHeads took the early lead in the first 3 innings. Keaton Greenwalt gave Missoula a 1-0 advantage in the first with a single. Later in the 3rd Jared Akins would kick off what would be a solid night at the plate with a double to knock in a run making the score 3-0. Akins would finish the night 2-for-5 with a pair driven in. Despite grabbing early momentum, the Vibes would turn the tables in the middle innings to grab their first lead.
Dusty Stroup would get the Vibes offense going in the 4th kick-starting a 4-run rally with a double to make the score 3-1. Edmond Americaan would then deliver the big blow in the frame hitting a 3-run home run to left center to give Rocky Mountain their first lead at 4-3. Stroup would score 3 runs in the contest finishing 1-for-3 while Americaan would finish 1-for-5.
Missoula's offense would have one last big rally in them to regain the lead in the bottom of the 6th behind a 6-run barrage. Missoula would send 10 batters to the plate as part of the rally. 4 consecutive base hits with 2-outs recorded would tell the story as Akins, Austin Bernard, O'Conner, and Thomas DeBonville would all knock in runs to keep the rally alive. After recording 6 hits in total in the frame, Missoula would lead the contest 9-7. Bernard would wrap up the night finishing 2-for-5 while DeBonville was 3-for-5. Rocky Mountain's reply was heard soon after.
A single from Sonny Ulliana would knot the score back up at 9 in the top of the 7th as the Vibes would once again battle back from behind. Rocky Mountain would later take the lead when pinch hitter Brandon Trammell drew a walk with the bases loaded to make the score 10-9. This lead would stand for the Vibes down the final stretch allowing Rocky Mountain to escape the Garden City with 1 win.
The PaddleHeads (5-4) will now continue their 6-game homestand on Friday night opening a 3-game series opposite the rival Billings Mustangs (3-6). Billings comes into the matchup licking its wounds after suffering a sweep on the road opposite the Glacier Range Ridgers (5-2). First pitch from Allegiance Field at Ogren Park is set for 7:05 p.m. Catch every moment on ESPN Missoula 102.9.
