Mustangs Out-Slugged; Fall 12-6

The Mustangs jumped ahead 2-0, but they fall to the Missoula Paddleheads 12-6 Tuesday evening. 

The Mustangs collected a 1-0 lead in the first as Alejandro Figueredo reached on an error which allowed Tayor Lomack to score.

The Ponies added on in the second on an RBI single by Brendan Ryan to score Luke Fennelly. 

Karan Patel tossed three solid innings, while stranding runners at first and third in the third inning. In the fourth, he gave up a leadoff single, with back to back walks to Josh Elvir and Dondrei Hubbard. Cameron Thompson hit a ball over the right-field wall to make it 4-2. 

Patel bounced back in the fifth going 1-2-3 with a punchout to end his outing strong, giving up just those four runs on six hits and three walks with four punchouts. 

Nate Jenkins surrendered a lead-off single in the sixth, and the ball rolled past Lomack to the left field wall allowing Elvir to reach third. Dondrei Hubbard doubled to score Elvir. Thompson reached on an error by Luke Fennelly, which allowed Hubbard to score to make it 6-2. 

The Paddleheads poured on three more in the sixth, capped off by a home run by Ryan Cash and they led 9-2 after six. Jenkins surrendered a total of five runs, but only two were earned, on five hits and three walks with one strikeout. 

Fennelly picked up a home run with one out in the seventh - his fifth of the year. 

In the home half of the inning, Left-hander Chase Wilkerson surrendered a lead-off base hit to Keaton Greenwalt, a walk to Elvir, and a single to Hubbard. Then, Thompson reached on a fielder's choice which scored Greenwalt, with another walk issued to Austin Bernard and a two-RBI single by Patrick Chung as the Paddleheads led 12-3.

The Ponies picked up three in the eighth. Bryce Donovan walked, while Blake Evans followed with his own free pass. Figueredo hit a two-RBI double as both trotted home to make it 12-5. Luke Trueman hit Figueredo to third base, then John Michael Faile grounded out to score Figueredo to make it 12-6. 

Donovan came into the game to pitch the bottom of the eighth and gave up just a base hit while picking up two strikeouts. 

The Mustangs will try to even up the three-game series Wednesday evening against the Paddleheads. Coverage starts at 6:55 p.m. with first pitch at 7:15 p.m. on ESPN 910/105.5 KBLG or ESPN910.com. You can also watch every pitch on FloSports.