8-Run Rally Leads Voyagers Past PaddleHeads
4 Home Runs Powers Great Falls Past Missoula
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 14 | 1 |
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1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 1 |
MISSOULA, MT - The Missoula PaddleHeads and Great Falls Voyagers would exchange blows through the first 5 innings of Thursday's game 3 at Allegiance Field. Both teams would lead in different sequences in a back and forth affair. The PaddleHeads would hold a slight advantage with action rolling toward the 6th inning. This is also the frame in which the game would change in a big way with a sizable rally telling the story.
The Voyagers would see the first 6 batters reach base in the top of the 6th inning in what would be an 8-run inning. This turned a one run deficit into a 7 run advantage in quick order. Great Falls would add 2 more runs in the 8th to fan the flames even more. The Voyagers would lead by as many as 8 runs in the final 3 frames as a result. The PaddleHeads would tally runs in the final 3 innings of the contest on the flipside but would never recover from this push of success as Great Falls took home a 14-10 win.
6 hits would be a part of Great Falls' 8-run push in the 6th inning. Armando Albert, Trey Cruz, and Emilio Corona would do damage in consecutive at-bats in the frame with each batter recording RBI singles in the inning. When the dust settled, Great Falls would hold a 12-5 advantage. Cruz and Carona would do a lot of damage from the top of the order throughout the night knocking in 5 combined runs. Cruz would finish the evening 3-for-6 while Corona would wrap up his night at 2-for-6.
The long ball would prove to be a theme throughout on both sides with 6 combined home runs hit in the game. Colby Wilkerson would be the first to strike for the PaddleHeads in the bottom of the 1st hitting a lead off home run down the right field line. The second baseman would finish his night 2-for-5. The Voyagers would strike back with home runs of their own in the early going to take their first lead.
Rookie shortstop Devon Dixon would give Great Falls their first lead in the 2nd inning hitting a clutch home run with 2-outs. The 2-run shot would make the score 2-1 in favor of Great Falls. The home run was also the first in the professional career of former Lobo. Dixon would also have a night to remember finishing 3-for-5 with 4 RBIs in the win.
Cruz, and Corona would then hit home runs in consecutive at-bats in the 3rd to expand the Voyagers lead to 4-1. The PaddleHeads would have an answer to this early power surge thanks to their big bats in the middle of the order.
Roberto Pena, and Adam Fogel would both provide big swings for Missoula in the bottom of the 3rd to level things up. Pena would hit his 25th home run of the season to right field to get things rolling to trim the deficit to 1. Fogel would later lace a double down the right field line to bring home another run in the inning to deadlock things at 4. An RBI groundout from Pena would then see Missoula grab the lead back at 5-4 an inning late. Pena finished with 3 RBIs in the game in a 2-for-5 effort.
The Voyagers would then be able to turn away Missoula in numerous instances from this point forward to limit damage. The PaddleHeads would strand 8 runners on the bases alone in innings 5 through 7 scoring only 1 run in that span. Missoula would strand 15 runners on the bases throughout the contest. Despite finding offensive success down the stretch, the deficit would prove to be too large to overcome.
Kyle Schmack would put the finishing touches on for the Voyager offense with a 2-out home run in the top of the 8th which gave Great Falls a 14-6 advantage. This was also the 1st professional home run for the rookie outfielder. Schmack would reach base 3 times in the game finishing 1-for-3. The PaddleHeads would score runs down the stretch but would not be able to climb out of the hole they left themselves.
Alec Sanchez would get a run home in the 8th inning on a sacrifice fly as part of another solid game in this series. The centerfielder would finish 2-for-3 in the contest after recording 6 RBIs in the ballgame Wednesday.
Colin Gordon would then hit a triple to highlight Missoula's efforts in the bottom of the 9th to bring home Missoula's 9th run. Gordon would finish the game 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. The bats would prove to be too big in the opposing dugout on this night however as the Voyagers claimed their 2nd win in 3 games played in Missoula.
The Voyagers (16-35) will now look to build on this momentum heading past the halfway point of this 6-game set with the PaddleHeads (34-17). Action begins in game 4 of this series at Allegiance Field with a 7:15 p.m. first pitch. Be a part of all the fun at the ballpark in person or tune in to the live call on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.
