Offense Paves The Way To Sweep Of Hawks Sunday
Klemp Leads Offensive Charge In Victory Over Boise
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 2 |
|
|
6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 3 | X | 19 | 14 | 3 |
MISSOULA, MT - Sunday's series finale between the Boise Hawks and Missoula PaddleHeads featured twists and turns at Alligence Field. Missoula opened the game with a lot of momentum behind a big first-inning rally. Boise immediately turned the tables, however, plating 12 straight runs in the early innings to jump ahead themselves. Both teams led by at least 6 runs at one point in the game. Both offenses produced at a high clip plating 33 combined runs. Thanks in large part to Nich Klemp, Missoula had the edge.
The PaddleHeads offense scored runs in 5 straight innings after Boise's big offensive push in the 2nd and 3rd. Missoula outscored Boise 10-2 in that span after trailing by 6 in the top of the 3rd. Klemp was a key to Missoula's success recording 5 hits in the game. Missoula's patient approach also played a big role, as the team drew 13 combined walks. In the end, the PaddleHeads emerged with a 19-14 win to wrap up the 1st half of the regular season on a high. This 3-game sweep of the Hawks was their first sweep in action at home this season.
Offense immediately played a role for Missoula in the home half of the first plating 6 runs. Ty Yukumoto knocked in a pair in the inning with a single en route to an early 6-0 lead. Dan Tauken, and Bryce Cerminelli both had RBIs in the frame as well with Missoula grabbing early momentum. Boise struck back in a big way the next 2 innings.
An error committed with 2 outs in the top of the 2nd proved to be costly for the PaddleHeads. With the door creeked open, Boise took advantage plating 6 runs in a flurry to tie the game at 6. Billings native Logan Meyer got the party started with an RBI single in the inning. Home runs from Jake Cone, and Michael O'Hara followed to deadlock the score at 6. Offensive success with 2-outs continued to tell the story in the next inning.
Boise took the lead with a 5-run rally in the third with 4 of these runs scoring with 2-outs. Meyer brought home a run with a single in the frame ahead of a pair of RBI singles from Jerimiah Begora, and O'Hara that gave the Hawks a 11-5 lead. O'Hara knocked in 4 runs in the game finishing 2-for-5. Meyer had one more big swing left in him.
The right field knocked in Boise's 12 run with a double in the top of the 3rd to give the Hawks a 6-run cushion. Meyer had 3 RBI in the game in a 3-for-4 performance. Boise plated 12 consecutive runs in this 3-inning stretch en route to the lead. Klemp was the man that led the PaddleHeads on the comeback trail.
A 3-run home run in the bottom of the 4th from the designated hitter sparked the PaddleHeads offense cutting Boise's lead in half at 12-9.Klemp then brought Missoula level in the next inning with a 2-run single up the middle to knot things back up at 12 in the 5th. The Hawks proved to have one last bullet in the chamber.
A 2-run home run in the 7th gave the Hawks the lead once again coming off the bat of Caden Matlon. The 3rd baseman was able to launch a ball over the right field foul pole to give Boise a 14-13 advantage. Klemp made sure this production would not be enough.
The former Hawk put on the finishing touches to his fabulous offensive performance in a 3-run rally in the 8th knocking home a run with his 2nd double of the game. This swing gave Missoula a 17-14 edge. Klemp was 5-for-6 in his at bats Sunday finishing with 6 RBIs and 5 runs scored. The Missoula offense played a big role in this sweep of Boise plating 49 runs over the 3 games series. The PaddleHeads will now look to take this momentum with them going into next week.
Missoula (24-23) opens the 2nd half of the season on Tuesday at home. Their opponent will make their first appearance at Alligence Field Ogren Park in the opening game of a 3-game series with the Glacier Range Riders (29-19). The PaddleHeads did enjoy success against Glacier on the road this season winning 5 of 6 games played earlier this season. First pitch on Tuesday is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. Be a part of all the action in person or tune in on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.
