PaddleHeads Score 8 Unanswered in Win Over Chukars

Missoula, MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads were back at it on Wednesday after two days away in the opening game of a 3 game set opposite the Idaho Falls Chukars. After a sweep of the Chukars on the road last week, the PaddleHeads looked to keep things rolling on their home field. Action would be tight through the first 3 frames with Idaho Falls holding the slight advantage. After a quiet start to the fourth in the top half, the Chukars would run into a buzz saw in the bottom half. 

Missoula would send all 9 batters to the plate in the frame recording 6 hits to jump out to a 5-2 lead. Idaho Falls would never mount a threat offensively the rest of the way as Missoula would cruise to a 9-2 victory.  

After a double from Lamar Sparks to start the fourth, Jayson Newman would immediately follow with his 14th home run of the season to right which gave Missoula their first lead at 3-2. Nick Gatewood would then hit a majestic shot that cleared the wall in right in the very next at bat adding to the lead. Nick Cici delivered the last blow in the frame on a double that hopped down the left field line to score Keaton Greenwalt. Newman would finish the night 2-for-5 while Gatewood finished 2-for-4 and Cici was 1-for-4. Greenwalt also had one of his best offensive performances finishing 3-for-4.

The PaddleHeads would tack on a pair more in the fifth thanks to Cameron Thompson, and Gatewood.  A  single from Thompson would knock in a run with 2 outs  prior to a double from Gatewood. Sparks would then put an exclamation point on his fabulous night at the plate in the sixth with a 2-run single which gave Missoula a 9-2 advantage. Sparks finished the night 3-for-5 with a home run, 2 runs scored, and 3 RBIs. 

Idaho Falls would find their only success offensively in the second, and third innings scoring one each in both frames. Singles from Steve Barmakian and Calvin Estrada in those two innings would both bring runs in. Estrada's single in the third would give the Chukars their only lead of the night at 2-1. That would be the last time they would present much of a threat however as the Chukars would be outscored 8-0 the rest of the way. Idaho Falls would only record 1 hit after the third inning. 

Nick Merkel impressed once again on the hill, recording his fourth win in as many starts with Missoula. The lanky right-hander would allow just 2 runs over 5 innings while striking out a pair. The bullpen combination of John LaRossa, Zach Torra, and Dan Swain would also impress in 4 innings of work as the trio did not allow a single run while striking out 5 to shut down the Chukars down the stretch. 

Missoula (21-9) saw their lead grow to 3 games over the second place Chukars (18-12) in the first half standings in the Northern Division. The PaddleHeads will look to stretch things out even further in game 2 of the series at Allegiance Field at Ogren Park Thursday night. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Hear all the action on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.