3 Home Runs Power Missoula Past Idaho Falls
Greenwalt Tallies 5 RBIs in 11-7 Win Over Chukars
Missoula, MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads, and Idaho Falls Chukars would both have the offenses rolling in the early going in game 2 of a 6 game set on Wednesday night. 9 runs would come in over the first 2 innings combined with each team getting on the board in both innings. Thanks to an advantage from the long ball however, the PaddleHeads would hold the advantage.
Missoula would tally 6 runs over the first 2 innings to take an early 4-run lead. After a quick start from Idaho Falls in the first 2 frames, the Chukars offense would also quiet down considerably, plating only 4 runs after the first 2 innings. This allowed Missoula to stretch their advantage down the stretch on their way to an 11-7 victory to record their eighth consecutive win.
A pair of extra base hits would put the Chukars out in front in the first 2-innings. Hunter Hisky would drive in a run with a double in the first giving Idaho Falls a 1-0 lead. In the next half inning, Tyler Kelly would drive in a pair with a 2-run homer to right center to give Idaho Falls the early 3-2 advantage. This early jolt would not be a sustained attack from the offense however as the Chukars would only score 4 the rest of the way. Hisky would finish 1-for-3 while Kelly was 1-for-4.
Missoula would prove to have an answer offensively in the early going in large part to Keaton Greenwalt. The former Phillies product drove in a run in the first with a single as part of a 2-run inning. Greenwalt's biggest moment came in the next half however with the bases loaded. The Clovis native would come through in the big spot hitting a grand slam to left giving Missoula an advantage they would never relinquish the rest of the way. Greenwalt finished the night 2-for-4 with 5 driven in.
Home run power would continue to tell the story for the Missoula attack as the PaddleHeads lead would continue to grow. McClain O'Conner struck with a 2-run bomb in the fourth which saw thew PaddleHeads lead grow to 7-4. In the next inning, Jayson Newman lined one over the right field wall on a 2-strike pitch to give Missoula their largest lead at 9-4. The home run for Newman brought his total on the season to 29 while finishing 2-for-4. O'Conner also chipped in with a 1-for-4 effort.
Idaho Falls did make things a bit interesting coming down the stretch in the ninth. Trailing by 5, Steve Barmakian would plate a run on a sacrifice fly to cut the advantage to 11-7. After a walk to Hisky, Thomas DeBonville would have a chance to tie the game representing the tying run at the dish with the bases loaded. The 2nd year Chukar would run into the buzz saw that is Sam Hellinger in the frame however who came in specifically for that at bat.
The Seattle product would continue his late inning dominance, blowing away DeBonville with a fast ball to end the game. Hellinger has recorded 4 outs in 2 outings in the series with all of those coming via the strikeout.
The PaddleHeads (53-20) will look to keep the pedal down after finding success in the first games of this series opposite the Idaho Falls Chukars (40-34). Action on Thursday night is set to begin at 7:15 p.m. in the Garden City. Catch every pitch from Allegiance Field at Ogren Park on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.
