9th Inning Rally Leads Mustangs Past PaddleHeads

Billings, MT- Both Offenses would not be heard from for much of the afternoon on Sunday in action between the Billings Mustangs, and Missoula PaddleHeads. Both teams would manage to only score 1 run each through 7 innings as both starting pitchers would turn in outstanding efforts. In the final 2 frames both teams would come through in dramatic sequences. The Mustangs would have the upper hand however thanks to Jalen Garcia. 

After Garcia gave the Mustangs their first lead in the 8th inning with a solo home run, his spot would come up again in the bottom of the ninth in a tie game. In the bases loaded scenario with 2-outs, Garcia would get into a 2-strike situation against the tough reliever Sam Hellinger. The Billings native would come through in the clutch, lacing a single past a diving McClain O'Conner to give Billings a 3-2 victory. Garcia finished 3-for-5 with a pair of RBIs in the win. 

After falling behind for the first time in the bottom of the 8th, O'Conner would provide a spark in a huge spot to tie the game. With 2-outs in the 9th, O'Conner would smack a double down the left field line to score Patrick Chung from second to knot things up at 2. This clutch moment would prove to not be enough however as Billings would manage to set up a rally in the next frame to escape with the win. O'Conner finished 1-for-4 in the loss.

The PaddleHeads found the scoreboard first in the early innings taking a 1-0 lead in the second. A leadoff double in the frame from Nick Gatewood would set up the offensive opportunity. Gatewood would later score in the inning on a wild pitch to give Missoula the early advantage. That would be the last time the PaddleHeads would find any success offensively however opposite the tough southpaw Ethan McRae. 

The Northern California native would tie up the PaddleHeads attack for much of the day in 7 innings of work. McRae would allow only 3 hits in those frames while striking out 5. The CSU-Monterey Bay product would retire the final 10 batters he faced in the outing consecutively. 

Billings would erase the early PaddleHeads lead in the 4th inning thanks to an RBI single from Gabe Wurtz that would knot things up at 1. This would be the only time Billings would find the scoreboard however opposite Missoula's Opening Day starter Domingo Pena. 

The former Royals farmhand would be firmly in control over 5 innings of work opposite the Mustangs allowing only 1 run over those frames. The second year PaddleHead would strike out 6 in those innings while not walking a single batter.  

The PaddleHeads (59-23) will not have much time to lick their wounds after the tough loss to Mustangs (44-37) as Missoula will return home for another 6-game slate of games that begins on Monday. The PaddleHeads will then open their final regular season homestand in action against the Glacier Range Riders (35-47). First pitch from Allegiance Field at Ogren Park is set for 7:15 p.m. Hear the call on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.