Fogel Leads Offensive Charge In 18-15 Win Tuesday

IDAHO FALLS, ID- The Missoula PaddleHeads returned to the ballpark where the season began Tuesday in game 1 of a 3 game set opposite the Idaho Falls Chukars. Games at Melaleuca Field earlier this season would feature wacky sequences all the way through a 6-game set with double digit run totals being a norm. Tuesday's series opener would be no different in another wild night for both offenses.

The ball would fly all over the ballpark on both sides with both teams tallying 37 hits throughout the course of the ballgame. The PaddleHeads would have the early lead scoring the game's first 7 runs. A pair of 4-run rallies would keep the Chukars in the game however, trimming sizable leads back. The offense of Missoula would prove to be too much at the end of day however with another monster effort from Adam Fogel playing a big role in a 18-15 win for the PaddleHeads.

Fogel would get the offense out of the gates in the top of the 2nd inning hitting a line drive home run to right field. This would be only the first notch in the belt for Fogel who finished the night 4-for-4 with 4 runs scored and 3 driven in. The first year pro has been simply unstoppable in this recent run of success.

Over his last 4 games, Fogel is 13-for-14 with 2 doubles, 3 home runs, and 11 RBIs. Fogel has also knocked in runs in each of his last 6 games played and has tallied 18 RBIs in that time. The Southern California native leads the league in home runs (19) batting average, (.442), and RBIs (63). The offense of Missoula found plenty of success around Fogel Tuesday.

A 5-run rally in the top of the 2nd inning saw the PaddleHeads take a 7-run lead. Collin Runge would knock in a pair to get things started in the 2-out rally. Cameron Thompson then landed the biggest blow hitting a 3-run home run to centerfield. Runge, and Thompson both had outstanding nights at the plate finishing with 6 combined hits and 10 RBIs hitting in consecutive spots in the order. The Chukars would fight back with 4-runs in the 4th.

Idaho Falls would trim the PaddleHeads advantage to 2 behind a rally in the bottom of the 4th. A pair of doubles from Tyler Wyatt, and Brett Barera would do a bulk of the damage that saw Missoula's lead shrink to 7-5. Wyatt would knock in 4 runs over the course of the game finishing 5-for-7. Bareera was no slouch himself, knocking in 3 as part of a 3-for-6 performance. The PaddleHeads would rebut this effort in short order however.

Fogel would help push the lead right back up to 5 as part of a 3-run rally in the top of the 5th hitting a triple down the right field line to knock in a run. After Fogel scored on a sacrifice fly from Thompson, Luis Navarro got in on the act knocking in a run with a single. Navarro finished with 2 RBIs on the night as Missoula extended its lead to 10-5. The PaddleHeads would extend its lead to its largest margin in the 6th.

Missoula would find 9-runs of separation in the top of the 6th inning thanks to a 6-run rally. RBI singles from Thompson, Runge, and Collin Gordon would all do damage in the frame as 10 batters would come to the plate. An RBI double from Mike Rosario down the left field line would be the highlight as Missoula snagged a 16-7 advantage. Rosario scored 3 runs in the win as part of a 3-for-4 effort at the plate. Late inning success from Idaho Falls would make things interesting however down the stretch.

The Chukars would tally 6-runs over the final 2 innings of the contest that saw Missoula's lead trimmed to just 3. Wyatt would bring home 2 runs with a triple as part of a 4-run rally in the bottom of the 8th. 2 more runs would score in the ninth on a bases loaded walk, and a wild pitch as Idaho Falls would come within 3 runs of the lead. Andrew Garcia would tough it out on the mound however, recording the final 2 outs on a strikeout, and groundout to preserve the 3 run win.

Despite having already clinched its playoff berth, Missoula (33-10) would just keep on rolling Tuesday night, opening this series with the Chukars (18-25) with yet another win on the road. The PaddleHeads have now won 6 of 7 on this current trip in Idaho. Game 2 of the series is scheduled for Wednesday night. Action begins at Melaleuca Field with a 7:05 p.m first pitch. See if more wild sequences await by tuning in on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M. and 1029espn.com.