Liniak Gives Glacier Win In ‘Knockout Round’
PaddleHeads Drop 2nd Straight To Range Riders
| Final (10) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 12 | 3 |
|
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3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
MISSOULA, MT - A theme surrounding the long ball would be present throughout in a battle between the Missoula PaddleHeads and Glacier Range Riders. A first inning home run from Adam Fogel would immediately see Missoula jump to the lead. 2 Innings later Glacier would strike back with 2 home runs of their own to take the lead. After this point, both pitching staffs would buckle down as only 3 combined runs would score the rest of the way. For the second night in a row, action would also enter the top of the 9th in a tie.
Arman Sabouri would pitch a scoreless top of the 9th to send the game to the bottom half of the frame tied at 5. Missoula would only manage to see one man reach base in their half of the inning which then sent the game to a 'Knockout Round' by rule in the Pioneer League. Kingston Liniak of the Range Riders would go opposite Roberto Pena of the PaddleHeads in the scenario. Liniak would be the first man to get his chance hitting one home run in the round. That would prove to be enough for Glacier as Pena failed to come through in the unique game-ending scenario allowing the Range Riders to claim victory.
Fogel would kick off a fantastic night of offense in the home half of the 1st hitting his first home run of 2025. With 2 runners on, the reigning league MVP would hit a laser down the left field line with an exit velocity of 110 miles per hour to make the score 3-0. Fogel sparked the offense later in the ballgame in the bottom of the 6th.
A pair of home runs in regulation would be enough offensively for the Range Riders to send the game to the knockout round. Both would come for Glacier in a 4-run top of the 3rd inning. JD McLaughlin would be the first to go deep hitting a 2-run home run to left field to cut the lead to 1. 2 batters later, Linak would vault Glacier ahead with a 2-run blast of his own to make the score 4-3. McLaughlin recorded 6 hits in the first 2 games of this series finishing 3-for-6 Wednesday. Liniak would finish 1-for-5.
The PaddleHeads offense would remain quiet on the flipside all the way to the 6th inning. With 2 outs in the frame, Fogel would spark the inning by hitting a double off the right field wall. On a 3-2 pitch, Alec Sanchez would then knock him home with a double of his own to the other corner outfield spot hitting off the top of the wall just to the right of the foul pole to make the score 5-4. An error and wild pitch would help Missoula level the score 2 innings later. Fogel finished the game 2-for-3 in his at-bats. Sanchez would wrap up the night 2-for-4.
The PaddleHeads bullpen would pitch well as a unit allowing the PaddleHeads to remain in the game through regulation. In 4 ⅔ innings of work collectively, the PaddleHeads relievers would not allow a run. Cale Mathison would be the first to the mound pitching 1 ⅔ scoreless innings. Zac Lampton, Andrew Armstrong, and Sabouri would then all toss scoreless half innings to hold Glacier in check. The Knockout Round is where this game would be ultimately decided however. On this night, the odds were in favor of Glacier.
The PaddleHeads (4-4) will now look for a formula of success after 2 tight ballgames that would end in the loss column against the Range Riders (6-2). The PaddleHeads will turn to returnee Nick Parker on Thursday night who got off to a great start to 2025 in his 1st outing of the season. First pitch on a 'Thirsty Thursday' at the ballpark is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Listen in on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M. if you can't be a part of the action in person.
