Villa Keeps PaddleHeads On Winning Track Friday

MISSOULA, MT- It is typically a good omen when the Missoula PaddleHeads send Alfredo Villa to the mound. The ace of the PaddleHeads staff would head to the hill once again Friday night in game 4 of this 6 game set opposite the Boise Hawks. Missoula also came into the game with momentum having won the first 3 games of the series. The PaddleHeads offense would do all the heavy lifting they needed to in clutch situations to back up another solid outing from Villa who would deliver yet again. 

Villa would pitch through 7 innings for the 2nd start in a row holding the Hawks to just 2 runs. Missoula would find success scoring all of their runs in the contest with 2-outs recorded. Boise would never lead in the contest at any point trailing by as many as 5 runs coming down the stretch. The end result would be a comfortable 7-3 win for the PaddleHeads claiming their fourth win in as many games in this series against the Hawks. Missoula has also one each of their last 7 games overall.

The PaddleHeads' success with 2-outs would begin in the early going to take their first lead in the 3rd. Dondrei Hubbard would hit a line drive over the wall in right to bring home a pair in the inning giving Missoula a 2-0 advantage. This would only be the start of things to come for Hubbard who would finish the contest 3-for-4. Hubbard has driven in a run in every game of this series and is 8-for-15 in at-bats he's had this week against the Hawks. 

Boise found success offensively through the night with the long ball. Sean Skelly would strike first in the fourth hitting the first of 3 solo home runs for the Boise offense. Home runs from Raymond Gil, and Casey Dykstra would follow in the 7th, and 9th innings. These swings would prove to be blips on the map for the PaddleHeads however as Villa would control things through 7. Dykstra would finish the night 2-for-4 while Gil and Skelly would both wrap up their nights 1-for-4. 

Villa would allow 5 hits over 7 innings while striking out 7 batters to move his record to 11-1 on the season. The Arizona native leads the league in wins, and strikeouts (108) so far with the PaddleHeads. The former Grand Junction Rocky has allowed 2 runs or fewer in each of his last 4 starts overall. Missoula's attack would just keep on coming with 2-outs to back up this effort. 

Extra base hits in the 3rd, and 4th would bring Missoula lead out further. It would be Cameron Thompson striking with a triple first in the third to bring home a run to extend the lead to 2. Jake Guenther would then send Ryan Cash home on a double of his own an inning later. Thompson and Guenther would both finish the game 1-for-3. Cash scored a pair of runs in the win as part of a 2-for-4 effort offensively. 

Missoula would bring their advantage out to their largest of the night in the 7th putting 3 more runs on the board. Luis Navarro would kick things off with a single up the middle to bring the PaddleHeads advantage to 3. The final 2 runs would come in to score in the frame on a hit batter, and a bases loaded walk. Boise would tally a pair of runs on the board down the stretch with home run balls, but would never find continuity offensively allowing Missoula to win their 4th straight in the series. 

The PaddleHeads (56-20) will look to keep things rolling in the right direction on Saturday night in yet another evening of action at home opposite the Boise Hawks (38-37). First pitch from the Garden City is set for 7:05 p.m. All the action will be heard live on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.