PaddleHeads Cruise Past Voyagers in Wire to Wire Victory

Great Falls MT - After clinching the First Half Pennant in action Wednesday, the Missoula PaddleHeads were right back at it on Thursday evening in game 3 of a 6 game set opposite the Great Falls Voyagers. Despite enjoying some time to celebrate the First Half triumph Wednesday night,  it would be business as usual for Missoula in action at Centene Stadium. 

A defensive miscue by the Voyagers in the top of the first would see the PaddleHeads jump on the board first by a score of 1-0. Trailing by 4 in the third, Great Falls would tighten things up at 4-3 behind a 3 run rally. That would be the only time the Voyagers would manage to have a sustained attack offensively however, allowing the PaddleHeads to pull away down the stretch in a 10-4 win. =

The Paddleheads would stretch their lead to 4-0 in the third inning to take control of the action early. After an RBI single from Jared Akins, Keaton Greenwalt would send a ball over the scoreboard in left to score a pair to give Missoula a 4 run advantage. Greenwalt and Akins would both finish the night 1-for-4. 

Breydon Daniel got the Voyagers back in the game in the bottom of the fourth with a towering 2-run blast of his own as part of a 3-rush push that cut Missoula's advantage to 4-3. Derek Kolbush would also come through with an RBI single in the frame with 2-outs to do damage in the inning. That would be the last time Great Falls would threaten offensively however as Austen Seidel would settle in the rest of the way. 

Seidel would retire 10 batters in a row from the end of the third through the fifth inning to keep the Voyagers attack at bay to earn his second win on the mound in as many starts. The Texas native would get through 7 innings allowing just 3 runs on 5 hits while striking out 8. Seidel only allowed 2 hits after the third inning allowing the PaddleHeads offense to take control. 

The PaddleHeads would start to pull away in the seventh when Akins, and Greenwalt would both knock in a pair on a sacrifice fly, and bases loaded walk to make the score 7-3. Missoula would put the game out of reach in the next half inning thanks to Jayson Newman, and Cameron Thompson. Thompson would knock in a run in the frame with a double, and would later score on a single from Newman to give the PaddleHeads a 9-3 advantage. It would be a fitting end to the night for Thompson who led the way offensively for much of the night finishing 3-for-4 with 4 runs scored and 3 RBIs. Newman would end the night 1-for-4.

Missoula (33-11) will go for their third victory in as many nights in the Electric City opposite the Voyagers (26-18) at Centene Stadium on Friday night. First pitch is set for 7:00 p.m. Hear the call on Western Montana's Sports Leader ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.