PaddleHeads Trim Magic Number To 1 In Victory Friday
Wentz Strikes Out 8 In Missoula’s 12-3 Win Over Ogden
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 16 | 1 |
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2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
OGDEN, UT - The Missoula PaddleHeads turned to the weekend portion of this 6-game series on Friday night in game 4 of a 6 game set with the Ogden Raptors. The series had not gone Missoula's way leading into Friday with Ogden winning in each of the first 3 games of the series. Despite this, the PaddleHeads remained in control of their playoff fate in the 1st half of the Pioneer League season. Wins in Missoula's remaining games would mean a place in the postseason regardless of what happens elsewhere. Thanks to a solid performance collectively Friday, Missoula would take a step in that direction.
After allowing a pair of runs to cross the plate in the 1st inning, PaddleHeads starter Ryan Wentz would bear down through his next 6 innings of work in a fabulous outing on the mound. The offense would also perform well on the flipside tallying 16 hits as a team throughout the course of the contest. After the 1st inning, Missoula would outscore Ogden 11-0 in one stretch that led all the way to the 9th inning. The end result would be a comfortable 12-3 win over the Raptors. The PaddleHeads would also receive more good news later on Friday night from a loss from their closest competition in the race for the league playoffs.
Missoula would receive a big lift from the Grand Junction Jackalopes on Friday night in defeating the Yuba Sutter Highwheelers. Grand Junction would take down Yuba Sutter 11-10 on Friday night which allowed the PaddleHeads to expand their lead in the standings to 2 games with a pair of games to play. That places Missoula's magic number at 1 in the race for the playoffs. A win in either of the PaddleHeads final 2 games of the half would put Missoula in the playoffs for the 5th consecutive season.
Both teams would find the scoreboard in the 1st inning ensuring things remained close in the early going. Adam Fogel would bring Missoula to their first lead in the top of the 1st with a single to put Missoula's 1st run on the board. The left fielder would help keep them in front a few innings later. Fogel would finish with a pair of RBIs in the win in a 2-for-5 performance.
The Raptors would have a quick counter to Missoula's top of the 1st plating a pair in the bottom of the inning. True Fontenot would get things rolling with a long home run to left center that knotted things up at 1. A 2-out single from Cole Jordan would later give the Raptors a 2-1 advantage on the 3rd hit of the frame. Wentz would settle in from this point forward however in what would turn out to be a fabulous outing.
The Southern California native would strike out 8 Raptors over 7 innings of work allowing 6 hits to earn the win on the mound. In a stretch from the 2nd through the 6th Wentz would only allow 2 men to reach base in scoreless action on the mound. Wentz picked up his 3rd win of the season for his efforts. The offense would do plenty to back this effort as the game progressed.
The PaddleHeads would grab the lead, and expand upon it in the 3rd, and 4th innings. Mike Rosario would bring Missoula level in the top of the 3rd with a single through the right to tie the game at 2. Fogel would then put Missoula back in front one batter later hitting a sacrifice fly to make the score 3-2. Thanks in large part to Colin Gordon, Missoula would not look back the rest of the way.
The designated hitter would knock in his first run of the night in the top of the 4th on a single to right field which gave Missoula a 4-2 advantage. The PaddleHeads would go down quietly in the next half inning however with the score remaining the same heading to the 6th. The PaddleHeads would turn things well in their favor in that inning.
Missoula's bats would expand the advantage to 6 in the top of the 6th plating 4 runs in the frame. Leyton Barry would jumpstart the offense with a leadoff home run in the inning to plate the first run of the frame. After a sacrifice fly from Gordan, Roberto Pena would hit a towering home run to right center field to bring Missoula's advantage to 8-2. Berry, and Pena would both knock in a pair in the game with Pena finishing 2-for-6 and Berry wrapping up the night at 2-for-5. The offense would flex its muscles once more in the 7th.
Kamron Willman would kick the offense into gear in a 4-run 7th inning with an RBI single up the middle. The PaddleHeads shortstop would finish 2-for-5 on the night. Gordon would then deliver the big blow 2 batters later hitting a 3-run bomb down the right field line to give the PaddleHeads a 12-2 advantage. It would be a huge night for Gordon playing in his home state of Utah finishing 3-for-4 with a game high 5 RBIs.
Ogden would not find any answer to this offensive production until the bottom of the 9th with Chris Sargent getting the Raptors on the board with a double to right field. The catcher would finish with 2 doubles on the night in a 2-for-4 performance. This effort would prove to not be enough however as Missoula would stretch the lead to double digits prior to this 9th inning swing. Now the PaddleHeads will look to take this newfound momentum into the final 2 games of the 1st half.
The final night game in this 6-game set is scheduled for Saturday evening as the PaddleHeads (31-14) once again square off with the Ogden Raptors (26-19) in game 5 of the series. Action will get rolling at Lindquist Field with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch. A PaddleHeads victory on Saturday night would put them into the Pioneer League playoffs joining the Oakland Ballers who punched its ticket to the postseason on Thursday. Be a part of this contest by listening in to all the action on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.
