20 Hit Barrage Leads Missoula to 10-0 Win Friday

GREAT FALLS, MT- A loss in game 4 of the is 6 game set for the Missoula PaddleHeads opposite the Great Falls Voyagers surely left a bad taste in their mouth as Missoula would see a game get away late Thursday. The beauty in the game of baseball at times however is the opportunity to quickly right the ship after a tough loss in quick fashion the next day. Behind a huge offensive night, and an outstanding debut on the mound, Missoula would do that and then some Friday in game 5. 

The PaddleHeads would jump on the Voyagers in the 2nd with a 4-run rally that saw each Missoula player come to the dish in the frame. This would prove to be plenty of breathing room for newly acquired starting pitcher Dawson Day who would absolutely dominate in 7 shutout innings. The PaddleHeads attack would provide plenty of support on the other side despite this tallying 20 hits as a team. The end result was a dominant 10-0 victory over the Voyagers to claim a series win in the 6 game slate. The PaddleHeads will now look to put the finishing touches on the 1st half of the league season in the finale of the series Saturday. 

A trio of singles would get the PaddleHeads on the board in the 2nd inning as part of a 4-run rally. Designated hitter Jacob Kline would bring the 1st run of the game in on a base hit to make the score 1-0. Second baseman Ryan Cash would then knock in a pair more and would score on a single from Centerfielder Keaton Greenwalt that would make the score 4-0. Cash finished the night 2-for-5. Greenwalt's night was only getting started offensively. 

Day would do more than make an impact in his first start with the PaddleHeads in 7 fabulous innings for the southpaw. The former Range Rider would strike out 5 batters in a row in one stretch from the 3rd to the 4th innings using a fastball, and slider combination to tie up the Voyager attack. Day would allow only 4 hits over 7 shutout innings while striking out 10 batters to earn the win. To support the effort of the Lewis & Clark State product, the offense of the PaddleHeads would just keep on coming. 

Missoula would make sure they left nothing to doubt down the stretch, scoring in each of the final 3 innings to put the Voyagers away. Kline would knock in his 2nd run of the night to start this stretch offensively in the 7th with a single. It would be a solid night offensively for the former Billings Mustang who finished 3-for-5. Catcher Dondrei Hubbard would then put the finishing touches to his offensive performance in the next frame. 

Hubbard would double for the 2nd time in the game to knock in a run in the 8th inning as Missoula's advantage would grow to 9 in the frame. Right Fielder Thomas DeBonville would also knock in a run in the inning on a sacrifice fly. Hubbard finished the night 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Greenwalt would then put a bow on Missoula's offensive performance in the next inning as part of a 4 hit night of his own. 

Greenwalt raced home from second on a single from third baseman Luis Navarro after doubling himself to leadoff the inning. This would bring home Missoula's 10th run of the night on their 20th hit as a team. The 2nd year PaddleHead would finish with an RBI and a run scored as part of a 4-for-6 performance at the plate. The PaddleHeads would then finish off the shutout in the bottom half of the inning in an absolutely dominant effort. Navarro finished off the night 2-for-6. 

The PaddleHeads (34-13) will now look to end the 1st half of the Pioneer League season on a high in the series finale opposite the Voyagers (15-30). Action from Centene Stadium is set to begin at 7:00 p.m. To stay in touch with the action, listen in on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.