Whatley Caps Off PaddleHeads Comeback With Walk-Off Homer

Missoula, MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads trailed for most of the night in game one of a three game set against the Billings Mustangs on Wednesday night at Allegiance Field at Ogren Park. The Mustangs would grab the lead in the first inning, and for a large portion of the night, would not look back. But Missoula would never let the game get out of hand, and would find themselves within striking distance coming down the stretch. 

After tying the game in the bottom of the eighth, Missoula would strand a pair of Mustangs runners on base to send the game to the bottom of the ninth tied at six. The PaddleHeads offense did many things during its record-breaking 2021 season. However, one thing that the team never did was hit a walk-off home run. Shortstop Kevin Whatley would make sure the same thing could never be said about this year's club as the Washington native would launch the second pitch of the inning well clear of the wall in right to send the PaddleHeads fans home happy in a 7-6 win. 

Missoula would trail by as many as four runs in the middle innings as Billings had the advantage for a large bulk of the night. However, Missoula would fight its way back down the stretch over the final 3 innings to erase that deficit. Whatley felt it showcased the mindset that this team has. 

"Having sustained energy for nine innings is what this team is all about," Whatley said. That is extremely difficult to do as a ballclub. We have a joke on our team that we are a fourth quarter team. Whenever we get down we talk about being a team that performs well late in the game, and we just battle."

The long ball would pace the Mustangs attack for a large portion of the first five innings with Billings hitting 3 homers in that span. After an RBI double from Gabe Wurtz in the fifth, Jacob Kline would deliver another blow in the inning with a 2-run blast to make the score 6-2. That swing would only begin to tell the story for Kline who finished 4-for-5 with 2 home runs, 2 runs scored, and 4 RBIs. That would be the last time Billings would get on the board offensively however as the Mustangs would be outscored 5-0 the rest of the way. 

McClain O'Conner would have a huge impact in his first game back from injury to finish 3-for-4. The biggest spark he would provide would come in the seventh when he would launch a towering  3-run blast over the wall in left to bring the PaddleHeads to within a run at 6-5. An inning later, a newly acquired talent would come up big in a clutch situation. 

With two outs recorded in the bottom of the eighth, rookie catcher Brenton Davis stepped into the box with a runner in scoring position. The Nebraska native would come through in the pressure situation sending a line drive through the middle to score fellow rookie Jayden Hanna to tie the game at 6. The RBI for Davis was the first of his professional career. 

Cody Thompson pitched well down the stretch for Missoula over the final 1 ⅔ to earn the win. Thompson would not allow a run in those frames while striking out a batter to earn the win on the hill. 

Missoula (7-6) has now won 4 games in a row opposite the rival Billings Mustangs (7-4) to open the 2022 season. The PaddleHeads will now look to keep the momentum going to clinch a series victory in this 3 game set. First pitch on Thursday night is set for 7:05 p.m. To stay up to date on all the action, listen in on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M. and gopaddleheads.com.