Missoula Hurlers Holds Glacier In Check In 5-1 Win

FLATHEAD VALLEY, MT - After a late inning offensive push in game 1, the Missoula PaddleHeads offense would waste no time getting on the board in game 2 opposite the Glacier Range Riders. Missoula would have runs on the board from the start in the top of the 1st thanks to one swing. This gave starter Nick Parker an early cushion in his outing at Glacier Bank Park. The Virginia product would not prove to need much help in what was a solid outing for the right hander. The bullpen would also pick up right where it left off from Tuesday's contest. 

Adam Fogel would send yet another baseball soaring into the night in the 1st giving Missoula an early lead in the 1st inning with his 29th home run. This would prove to be the only thing needed for Parker and the bullpen in a 5-1 Missoula victory. The only run scored for Glacier in the contest would come on an error in the 5th. The bullpen would then allow only one hit collectively over the final 4 innings of action holding the Range Riders in check for the 2nd consecutive evening. The end result was another win in the book for Parker and the PaddleHeads collectively. 

A 4-batter stretch of consecutive hits would trip up Glacier in the top of the 1st. After consecutive singles from Mike Rosario, and Roberto Pena, Fogel would provide the muscle hitting a 3-run bomb to left field giving the PaddleHeads a 3-0 advantage right out of bed. Pena, and Rosario had 5 hits combined hitting in front of Fogel with Pena finishing 3-for-5 and Rosario 2-for-5. Fogel would reach twice in the win.

Parker would mainly cruise through 5 innings allowing no earned runs while striking out 6 batters in his outing on the mound. The Pennsylvania native would do well to scatter base runners in the outing to keep the Glacier order under control. The 2nd year pro would also receive a little more help from the offense in the 4th on his way to his 6th win on the hill. 

Missoula would stretch its advantage to 5 after seeing 2 more runs come home in the top of the 4th. Taylor Smith would score the first run of the frame coming home on a balk. Patrick Chung would then single home a run with a base hit up the middle to bring the lead to 5-0. An unearned run would come home for Glacier in the next half inning on a misplayed ball in the outfield. The bullpen ensured that the Range Riders would have no thoughts of anything further. 

The quartet of Jestin Jones, Dawson Day, Christian Ciuffetelli, and Ethan Swanson would mow through the Glacier lineup in 4 combined scoreless innings. Day, and Jones would both strike out the side in the 6th and 7th innings allowing just one man to reach. Ciuffetelli, and Swanson would both strike out a pair as well coming down the back stretch in the last 2 innings holding Glacier off the board. 

The Missoula bullpen has only allowed 1 run to this point in the first 2 games of the series against Glacier and have now thrown 7 shutout innings combined as well. The PaddleHeads staff collectively finished with 16 strikeouts in the game Wednesday. The bullpen did the bulk on this front striking out 10 in the final 4 innings of the contest. This would allow the PaddleHeads to pick up their 5th win in as many games at Glacier Bank Park. 

The PaddleHeads (52-16) will look to keep things rolling on the road at the midway point of this 6 game set in action in game 3 Thursday night against the Range Riders (34-34). Action in the Flathead Valley is scheduled to get underway with a 7:05 p.m. first pitch. Be a part of every moment from Glacier Bank Park by tuning in on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.