Villa Turns In Dominant Effort In PaddleHeads Win

GREAT FALLS, MT- The Great Falls Voyagers would scratch across a run to take an early lead in the 2nd inning opposite the Missoula PaddleHeads on Saturday night. Missoula starter Alfredo Villa would not let that trip him up however as the 2nd year PaddleHead would not allow another run to cross the plate on his watch. The 3rd year pro would also go on a spectacular run of success starting in the 4th inning. 

Villa would be untouchable through large stretches of 7 innings allowing only 3 hits. The Arizona native would also finish with a season high in strikeouts. Thanks in large part to a push of success offensively in the top of the 9th, Missoula would also manage to back this effort as the PaddleHeads would hang on for a 4-3 victory. The final regular season road game now looms ahead Sunday in their final game against the Voyagers this season. 

Devin Hurdle would give the Voyagers their only lead with a 2-out single up the middle scoring Jack Lynch in the 2nd inning to make the score 1-0. This success would prove to be short lived however as Great Falls would not find the board again until the final stanza of play. The biggest reason would prove to be an otherworldly stretch from Villa that would begin in the 4th inning. 

Thanks to a pair of doubles in the top of the 4th inning, Missoula would jump to the lead. Cameron Thompson would tie the game with a double to bring home Hayden Travinski to get things started. Roberto Pena would follow with a double of his own to make the score 2-1 a few batters later. Both men would be heard from again as well in a late push of success that would prove to be a big factor in the late innings. Villa would clearly use this push of success in the 4th as a launching point.

The Adams State product would have a stretch to remember from the end of the 3rd inning through the 7th. Villa would not allow a single base runner to reach in that span retiring 13 consecutive hitters. Furthermore the right hander would strike out 10 of those batters finishing with 2 strikeouts or more in 4 consecutive frames. Villa would walk off the mound in the 7th having struck out the side to finish his night with 12 total strike outs. The punch outs would also just keep on coming from the Missoula bullpen. 

Christian Cuiffetelli retired the side in order in the bottom of the 8th striking out 2 in his inning of work. Missoula's staff would retire 17 consecutive batters in order collectively from the end of the 3rd to the 9th inning. The PaddleHeads offense would also manage to give themselves some breathing room in the top of the 9th. 

After Thompson kicked things off in the 9th with a leadoff double, Kameron Willman would knock him in a batter later with a double of his own to give Missoula a 3-1 advantage. Pena would then come through 2 batters later with a single to score Willman to make the score 4-1. Thompson and Pena would both finish 2-for-4 in the contest. These swings would prove to be needed as the Voyagers would push back in the last of the 9th. 

Freddy Rojas Jr. would bring the Voyagers closer in the bottom of the 9th with a 2-run single with 2-outs to cut the lead to just 1. Ethan Swanson would settle things down in quick order however fittingly ending the game by recording the last out on a strikeout. The 2nd PaddleHead would earn his 8th save of the season as a result to preserve the win for Missoula. The PaddleHeads will now have thoughts of the series final that awaits on Sunday. 

The PaddleHeads (60-29) will look to split this 6 game set opposite the Voyagers with a win Sunday in their final road game of the regular season. Missoula has also now won at least 60 games in a regular season in 4 consecutive years dating back to 2021. A 'Brunch Battle' in Great Falls Sunday is scheduled to begin with a unique 11:30 a.m. First pitch. Keep in touch with all the action on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M. and 1029espn.com.