Early Offense Leads Range Riders Past PaddleHeads

Kalispell,MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads hit the road on Tuesday night to open a 6 game set at Flathead Field opposite the Glacier Range Riders. Missoula entered the series with confidence having won each of their last 7 games played against the Range Riders. Behind a jolt from the Glacier offense in the early innings, the Range Riders would flip that script. 

The Range Riders would score 7 runs in the second, and third innings to jump out to an early advantage to set the tone early. Missoula's offense would never get much going offensively after being held off the board in every frame after the third in a 9-2 defeat. 

A pair of defensive miscues from the PaddleHeads  in the third would prove to be very costly. In a bases loaded situation, Brandt Broussard would hit a slow roller on the first base side. McClain O'Conner would first bobble the ball at second which allowed Broussard to reach safely. Jayson Newman would then fire the ball accurately up the third base side. These two mistakes allowed Glacier to score 3 runs to jump ahead early. 

A 4-run rally in the fourth would see the Range Riders lead grow to 7-2. Livingston Morris got things started in the frame with an RBI double with 2-outs. The big blow in the frame would then come from rookie catcher Drews Sims who would drive in 3 with a 3-run homer. This would prove to be the highlight for the California native in his professional debut as Sims would finish 2-for-4 with 3 driven in. Morris also enjoyed a solid night finishing 2-for-2 with a pair of walks. 

Missoula found their only success offensively in the third, scoring a pair of runs. 3 consecutive singles would see Missoula get on the board in the inning with Brandon Riley bringing home Nick Cici on an RBI single to make the score 3-1. 2 batters later, Lamar Sparks would lace a ball down the first base line for a double to bring home Riley to cut Glacier's lead to 1. That would be the closest the action would be the rest of the way however as Missoula's offense would sputter. The PaddleHeads would only tally 1 hit after the third inning. Sparks finished 1-for-2 with an RBI, and 2 walks  in the loss. 

Dean Miller made sure that Missoula would not have any ideas about a potential comeback in the 7th hitting a solo blast to right to make the score 9-2. The PaddleHeads would be outscored 6-0 in action after the third in which Glacier pulled away. Miller would finish the night 2-for-4 with an RBI. 

Missoula (39-15) will look to right the ship in game 2 of the series opposite the Range Riders (18-35). First pitch from Flathead Field is set for 7:05 p.m. All the action can be heard on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.