Home Run Power Leads PaddleHeads Past Hawks
Bullpen Holds Boise Scoreless in 7-3 Victory Tuesday
Missoula, MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads welcomed the Boise Hawks to Allegiance Field at Ogren Park on Tuesday night to open a 3 game series. In the process, the Hawks made their first appearance in Missoula since last September when Boise faced off with Missoula in Game 1 of the Pioneer League Championship Series. Just like in September, Boise would send Zach Penrod to the mound. Things may have felt different this time around in a regular season tilt, but the end result would be a familiar one for the home team.
A pair of home runs in the first 2 frames would immediately get the PaddleHeads out of the gate jumping out to a 4-0 lead. Boise would quickly counter with a rally of their own however soon after to cut into the Missoula deficit. That would be the only rally mounted by the Hawks however as the PaddleHeads bullpen would corral Boise for much of the night in a 7-3 victory.
After a leadoff single from Brandon Riley in the first, Keaton Greenwalt would quickly strike with a 2-run blast to give the PaddleHeads the early advantage. Riley would find his own success with the longball an inning later with a 2-run shot of his own that stretched Missoula's lead to 4. Riley would go on to have a fabulous night finishing 3-for-4. Greenwalt chipped in with a 1-for-4 efford.
Raymond Gill got Boise right back into it in the top of the third inning with a 2-run single as part of a 3 run rally. A third run would score in the frame thanks to an error as Boise would trim the deficit to 1. Thanks to solid work from the PaddleHeads bullpen however, the Hawks would never mount a threat the rest of the way.
The combination of Tyler Elliot, Cody Thompson, Mark Simon, and Sam Hellinger would never budge over 4 ⅓ innings coming down the stretch. The group would collectively scatter 3 hits, and no runs over those innings while striking out 5. Despite not needing any support, the PaddleHeads managed to also stretch out their advantage coming down the stretch.
McClain O'Conner brought Missoula's advantage back to 3 with a clutch 2-run in the sixth inning to make the score 6-3. A few innings later, Nick Cici would round out the scoring for the PaddleHeads with a 2-out solo blast which gave Missoula a 4-run advantage. Hellinger would then hold up his end in the ninth shutting down the Hawks in order. O'Conner, and Cici would both finish 2-for-4.
The PaddleHeads (46-20) will look to clinch a series win on their home field in game 2 Wednesday night opposite the Hawks (22-45). All the action from Allegiance Field at Ogren Park begins at 7 p.m. Catch every pitch on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.
