Offense Leads Grand Junction To 17-4 Win Over Missoula
Pena Tallies 4-Hits In Losing Effort Thursday Opposite Jackalopes
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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5 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 21 | 2 |
|
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0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 2 |
MISSOULA, MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads played in their final regular season home game on Thursday night in the series finale with the Grand Junction Jackalopes. Both teams were looking to end the series on a high in the rubbermatch of the 3 game set. The Jackalopes got off to a quick start with an extremely aggressive offensive approach jumping to the lead in the 1st inning. Grand Junction would also seemingly never take their gas off the pedal throughout on a huge night for their offense.
The Jackalopes raced to the lead in the first 3 innings of Thursday's contest at Allegiance Field putting 10 runs on the board in that span. When it was all said and done, Grand Junction finished with 21 hits as a team in the ballgame. After a 6-run rally in the 5th inning, The Jackalopes held a 13 run advantage. This also proved to be the final margin of victory in a 17-4 victory over the PaddleHeads.
The Jackalopes brought all 9 batters to the dish in the top of the 1st to grasp momentum from the start. Mason Minzey struck with the long ball in the frame to get things rolling in earnest to make the score 3-0. Kendall Foster then put the icing on the cake in the frame with a 2-run double off the wall in right field to extend the advantage further. Minzey and Foster both finished 3-for-6 in the victory while driving in 8 combined runs. The game then began to get out of hand with another push in the top of the 3rd.
Jeremy Piakiewicz tried to keep the PaddleHeads in the fight in the 2nd, driving in a pair of runs with a single to left field to make the score 6-2. The shortstop finished 1-2 on the night with a walk. This comeback effort proved to be short lived with Grand Junction countering this effort.
The Jacks expanded the lead to 8 in the top of the 3rd. RBI singles from Foster, Diego Aragon, and Evan Scavatto fanned the flames to the rally that saw the Jackalopes take a 10-2 lead. Scavatto enjoyed a 2-for-4 night and Aragon was 2-for-5. Things got completely out of hand in the 5th as the offense continued to flex its muscles.
Foster put on the finishing touches to a 6-run rally in the top of the 5th inning with a 3-run home run to right center. When the dust settled, the Jackalopes held a 16-3 lead. Foster finished with 6 RBIs in the Grand Junction win to lead this effort. Coffman also contributed in the frame as well with an RBI single and would go on to finish 2-for-6 in the victory.
Roberto Pena provided a bright spot in a lopsided loss finishing 4-for-5 from the lead off position. The 1st baseman knocked in a run as well in his final at-bat with a double down the left field line to wind out the scoring bringing home Missoula's 4th run. This did little to affect the final result however as Grand Junction took home the victory.
The PaddleHeads (60-27) will play out the rest of their regular season schedule on the road after its final regular season appearance in the Garden City Thursday. A 9-game road trip begins Friday night with Missoula squaring off with the Boise Hawks (44-43) in the opening game of a 3-game set. The PaddleHeads took 2 of 3 from the Hawks last month in their first meeting this season. First pitch from Memorial Stadium is set for 7:00 p.m.
