Late Rally Leads Missoula To Win In Season Finale Sunday
PaddleHeads End Regular Season On High In Win Over High Wheelers
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 1 |
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0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 11 | 0 |
MARYSVILLE, CA- The Missoula PaddleHeads offense got things going quickly in the season finale of 2025 opposite the Yuba Sutter-High Wheelers. The PaddleHeads recorded 6 hits in the first 4 innings en route to the lead in the top of the 2nd. It proved to be a back and forth affair with both teams holding leads in stretches of action. After falling behind early, a 5th inning rally for Yuba Sutter vaulted the home team back to the lead at Bryant Field. Missoula then trailed all the way to the top of the 9th inning. The PaddleHeads mounted a threat in the situation with a pinch hit single getting things started. Eventually in a bases loaded situation, a clutch swing put Missoula in the lead for good.
Adam Fogel sent a laser to the left field wall in the top of the 9th to clear the bases for the PaddleHeads. This vaulted Missoula to the lead with 2-outs in the frame. Zac Lampton then turned out the lights on the High Wheelers, and the regular season in the bottom of the 9th in a clean frame to preserve a 8-7 victory in the final game of the regular season. The PaddleHeads will now look to use this result as a launching point toward success in the upcoming Pioneer League playoffs that begin Thursday.
Colin Gordon knocked in Missoula's first run in the top of the 2nd as part of a 2-run rally to initially put the visitors in front. Alec Sanchez later drove in a run on a sacrifice fly to add to the advantage in the frame. Gordon finished with a pair of walks and an RBI in a 1-for-2 night at the plate. The High Wheelers rebutted this effort quickly.
Yuba Sutter knotted things up in the home half of the 2nd quickly thanks to Zane Denton and Connor Denning. An RBI single from Denton got things started before Denning knocked in the former Billings Mustang with a double of his own. Denning knocked in a pair in a 2-for-4 performance. Another counter blow in the 3rd came from the Missoula offense.
Roberto Pena brought the PaddleHeads right back in front in the top of the 3rd with a single to left field to put a 3rd run on the board. Mike Rosario later scored on a wild pitch in the inning making the score 4-2. Rosario scored a pair of runs in the win in a 2-for-3 performance while Pena finished 2-for-4. Both would contribute again when the lights were the brightest in the top of the 9th.
The pendulum swung back in the favor of the High Wheelers with a run of success in the bottom of the 5th. A 4-run rally in the inning did just that with a pair of home runs telling the story. Denning delivered first with a solo blast to cut the PaddleHeads lead to 1. Gio Brusa later joined the party giving Yuba Sutter the lead with a 2-run homer to put the home team out in front by that margin. The High Wheelers never expanded the lead from this point however, leaving the door open for a late rally in the top of the 9th.
Trailing by 2, pinch hitter Evan Sleight put some coals on the fire in the top of the 9th inning with a lead off single to right field. Walks from Rosario, and Pena later loaded the bases with 2-outs in the inning. The reigning league MVP would not wait to strike in the situation.
Fogel saved a clutch swing for his last one of the 2025 regular season, launching a triple off the top of the left field wall to clear the bases. This gave Missoula a late lead of 8-7. Fogel finished the season with 108 RBIs in 79 games of action. The PaddleHeads closer then did the rest to ensure Missoula ended the regular season on a high.
The Southpaw earned his 10th save of the season in a clean 9th inning to preserve the win for the PaddleHeads. This was a fitting end to the season for Lampton who proved to be a key cog of the pen all season long. The rookie punched out 83 batters over the course of the regular season in 47 appearances finishing with a 2.90 ERA in his first full season of professional baseball. Now all eyes shift to the Pioneer League Playoffs.
The PaddleHeads (64-32) are headed to the PBL Playoffs for 5th consecutive season heading into a best of 3 series that kicks off Thursday. Their opponent will be the Idaho Falls Chukars (54-41) with a spot in the League Championship Series on the line. This is the first appearance in the league playoffs for Idaho Falls since these 2 clubs met in 2021 in a 1-game playoff won by Missoula. The other 1st round match up features the Oakland Ballers playing host to the Ogden Raptors in the Bay Area.
Playoff baseball returns to the Garden City on Thursday night as Missoula embarks on yet another playoff run. First pitch of game 1 is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Game 2 of the series will follow Friday in Missoula with game 3 scheduled for Saturday if necessary. Experience the excitement of playoff baseball in person by grabbing playoff tickets at gopaddleheads.com. You can also follow each game during Missoula's playoff push with live broadcasts on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.
