Schultz Limits Hawks to 2 Hits in PaddleHeads Win

MISSOULA, MT- After leading for a large chunk of the action on Tuesday, the Missoula PaddleHeads would immediately find themselves in front in game 2 opposite the Boise Hawks Wednesday night. Leading 3-0 in the 4th, the Hawks would mount a threat looking to get themselves back in the game loading the bases with 1-out. Connor Schultz would face the challenge head on retiring 2 straight with the bases loaded to hold the Hawks off the board. This would prove to be a momentum building sequence as the PaddleHeads would pull away after this instance. 

The PaddleHeads would tack on runs in the 4th, and 5th innings to extend its advantage to a sizable one. The PaddleHeads would score 6 unanswered in those 2 frames to extend the lead. Schultz would do more than hold up his own in 7 innings of work as the PaddleHeads would cruise to a 9-0 game 2 win over the Hawks. 

Missoula would bring a run in thanks to Luis Navarro to get the scoring started in the 1st inning. The 2nd year pro would bring in his 6th run of the series scoring McClain O'Connor on an RBI groundout. O'Connor would drive in a run himself in the next half frame on a sacrifice fly to center field as part of a 2-run push to make the score 3-0. O'Connor finished the ballgame 1-for-3 and Navarro was 1-for-4. 

Missoula would  begin to pull away in the 4th plating a pair more runs. Dondrei Hubbard struck with 2-outs in the 4th driving in 2 to give Missoula a 5-0 lead. Hubbard has knocked in 4 runs over the course of the series to this point and finished Wednesday 1-for-4. Missoula would put the game well out of reach behind another push in the next half inning. 

Back-to-back doubles from Cameron Thompson, and Reece Yeargain would highlight a 4-run rally in the 5th that saw Missoula's lead grow to 9 runs. Both doubles would score 2 with Yeargain bringing in Jake Guenther, and Thomas DeBonville. Thompson's double would score Josh Elvir, and Yeargain to make the score 9-0. 

Elvir had a solid night at the plate in the win reaching base 4 times as part of a 2-for-2 night. Yeargain would also look solid finishing 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs. Thompson has recorded 3 extra base hits in his last 2 games and finished Wednesday 1-for-4. This offensive production would prove to be plenty for Schultz who would mainly cruise through 7 innings. 

Schultz would retire the final 9 batters he faced over 7 innings pitched allowing no runs on only 2 hits. Schultz would only allow 1 base runner after holding the Hawks off the board in the 4th inning in a bases loaded jam on his way to his 6th win on the season. Schultz has now allowed 3 runs or fewer in each of his last 7 outings. The Iowa product is also 2nd in the Pioneer League amongst all pitchers in ERA (3.28) in 13 starts. 

Missoula (54-20) will look to keep its recent success rolling, having won the first 2 games of this series opposite the Hawks (38-36) to open the week. The 6 game slate continues on Thursday evening with first pitch slated for 7:05 p.m. If you cannot make it to the field for fun on a 'Thirsty Thursday' tune in to hear the action on 102.9 F.M. ESPN Missoula.