Late Inning Offense Blows Game Open in PaddleHeads Win

Missoula MT- A 5-run fourth inning rally got the PaddleHeads offense in gear in game 2 of a 3 game series on Wednesday night at Allegiance Field at Ogren Park. The Rocky Mountain Vibes looked to be on the comeback trail over the next 2 innings however, cutting the Missoula lead to just 2. After holding the PaddleHeads off the board in the 6th, the Vibes would look to lean on their bullpen over the final 3 frames to give their offense a chance to continue to battle back. The Missoula offense would have other plans in mind. 

The PaddleHeads would see the first 7 batters of the 7th inning reach base fueling the flames for a 7-run rally. Missoula would not take their foot off the gas in the 8th either bringing 4 more runs home. On the other end of the spectrum, the Vibes were held off the board in the final 3 innings as Missoula cruised to a 17-4 victory. The PaddleHeads will now look to end their first home series of 2023 with a sweep. 

Missoula would take their first lead of the night in the 4th inning behind a 5-run rally. Jayson Newman provided the highlight in the frame hitting a line drive shot over the left field fence to give the PaddleHeads a 3-1 advantage. Catcher Kevin Elefante would also pick up his first RBI as a PaddleHead in the frame making the score 6-1 with an RBI single. Newman had a season high 5 RBIs in the win finishing 2-for-5 and Elefante was 2-for-4 with 2 driven in. 

Milton Smith Jr. and the Vibes would have a rebuttal to the PaddleHeads rally in the 5th inning bringing 2 runs home in the inning. Smith Jr. would do damage in the frame with 2-outs with a single to cut the PaddleHeads advantage to 6-3. Rocky Mountain would see the deficit trimmed to 2 in the next inning as Casey Peterson would hit a towering solo homer to right to make the score 6-4. This comeback would prove to be a mirage as the PaddleHeads offense would take control once again down the stretch. Smith Jr. finished 3-for-4 and Petersen was 1-for-4.

A 7-run 7th inning rally would turn the game on its head as Missouia extended its lead to 9 runs. Newman would strike first in the frame with a 2-run double down the right field line to kick off the scoring. McClain O'Conner would also get in on the act later in the frame with a 2-run triple to get the PaddleHeads run total up to 10. The PaddleHeads would send a total of 13 batters to the plate in the inning. 

Elefante drove in another run with a single in the 8th to wind out the scoring for Missoula to make the score 17-4 during a 4-run rally. Missoula would outscore the Vibes 11-0 coming down the stretch in the final 3 frames to put the game out of reach. The Vibes have not scored a single run past the 6th inning at any point in the series to this point. 

3-year pro Izzy Fuentes had a solid outing in his first start with Missoula after spending the last 2 seasons in Grand Junction. The Southern California native would earn the win over his 5 innings pitched allowing 3 runs over those frames while striking out 5. John LaRossa, and Karl Blum were also solid out of the bullpen in 2 scoreless frames. LaRossa, and Blum would both strike out the side in their innings of work. Austen Seidel would also pitch a clean 9th inning to bring the ballgame to a close. 

The PaddleHeads (5-3) will now look to end their first home series in the Garden City with a sweep in the finale opposite the Vibes (2-5). First pitch from the Garden City is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. Hear the call on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.