Greenwalt Leads the Charge Offensively in 13-8 Win

Missoula, MT- Action would once again remain tight for a large portion of the ballgame in the series finale on Thursday evening between the Great Falls Voyagers, and the Missoula PaddleHeads. After seeing the first 2 games end in regulation tied at 8, the score would once again be deadlocked at that same tally after the end of the top of the sixth. However, the PaddleHeads offense would ensure that a knockout round would not be needed coming down the stretch in the final 4 frames. 

Jayson Newman would break the tie in the bottom of the sixth with a single which gave the PaddleHeads a 2-run advantage they would never relinquish as Missoula would outscore Great Falls 5-0 coming down the stretch. The bullpen would also perform well holding the Voyagers off the board in every inning after the fifth in a 13-8 win to clinch a series victory in the finale.   

Missoula would find success early, and often offensively, recording 15 hits in the ballgame. A 5-run rally put the PaddleHeads out in front early 5-1. A pair of doubles from Jared Akins, and Keaton Greenwalt would do damage in the frame along with singles from Brandon Riley, and Patrick Chung. This group of hitters would be far from finished at the plate as well leading the offensive charge. Despite the early lead, Great Falls would find a counter in the early innings thanks to Riley Jepson. Akins would finish the night 3-for-4 with an RBI. 

The B.C. Native continued his torrid pace at the plate driving in 5 runs over the first 5 innings of action. This effort would be highlighted by a 3-run blast in the third which made the score 5-4. Jepson would finish with a pair of home runs on the night finishing 3-for-3 with 5 RBIs. The second year Voyager tallied 4 home runs in the series total to go along with 12 driven in. That production would prove to not be enough on this night however as the PaddleHead attack would just keep on coming. 

The top of the order proved to be a lethal combination throughout the night as Chung, Riley, and Greenwalt would all finish with at least 2 hits on the night. Greenwalt capped off his night in the seventh with his third double of the evening to bring home Chung to make the score 12-8. Greenwalt, and Chung would both finish 4-for-5 on the night. 

Riley would homer in the bottom of the fourth as part of a 4-run rally to highlight his successes Thursday. The North Carolina native finished 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. The trio of Riley, Chung, and Greenwalt combined finished 10-for-14 on the night with 7 RBIs to fuel the Missoula attack. The offensive success coming down the stretch would also prove to be plenty for the bullpen in the later innings. 

Mark Simon would do well to quiet the Great Falls attack in his 2 ⅓ innings of work. The Reigning Pioneer League Pitcher of the Year inherited a bases loaded jam in the sixth but would hold the line in the frame not allowing a run to score. Simon would then go on to strike out 4 batters in the next 2-frames of work. Sam Hellinger would then breeze through the Voyagers in a clean ninth inning striking out a pair. 

Missoula (44-18) will now look to take this momentum with them on the road as action opposite the Great Falls Voyagers (35-27) (7-8) will now shift to the Electric City over the weekend. First pitch on Friday night is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. Catch all the action from Centene Stadium on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.