Offense Leads Way To PaddleHeads Win On Opening Night

MISSOULA, MT - After a 12 game road trip, the Missoula PaddleHeads made their first appearance at Allegiance Field at Ogren Park on Tuesday night. For the 2nd time in the last 4 seasons, Missoula would open their home slate opposite the Great Falls Voyagers. In games on the road, the PaddleHeads offense often led the way on the trip scoring 10 runs or more routinely. On a night where folks in the Garden City got to see the PaddleHeads in action at home for the first time, the offense would also continue its run of success.

Missoula would tally runs offensively in each of the games first 7 innings. The top 4 hitters in the order all would finish with 2 hits or more in the contest. Leadoff man Mike Rosario would tally a team best 4 hits from the leadoff spot. The Voyagers would have offensive punch themselves taking the lead multiple times in the first 4 innings. The PaddleHeads offense however would just keep on coming in the flipside taking home an 18-12 victory to send the fans home happy on opening night in Missoula. 

Missoula would waste no time getting things going in the first inning behind a 4 run rally that would happen seemingly in a blink of an eye. 4 extra base hits from Rosario, Kamron Willman, Alec Sanchez, and Adam Fogel would bring Missoula to that spot. After a leadoff double from Rosario, Willman would bring him home on a double of his own immediately after. After a 3rd consecutive double in the frame from Sanchez, Fogel cranked a home run to the left of the batter's eye in center giving the PaddleHeads a 4-1 lead. More success with the long ball extended the lead in the 2nd. 

A home run for Willman in the inning would extend the PaddleHeads advantage to 5-1. The California native would finish the night 3-for-6 in what would be a huge night for the top of the order collectively. They would need more production as well after the innings that followed as the Voyagers bats woke up in a big way. 

A 5-run rally in the top of the 4th inning would give Great Falls their largest lead of the evening. Xane Washington would tie the game at 6 in the frame on an RBI single. The 2nd year Voyager would have a huge night in the loss finishing 4-for-6 in the contest. Designated Hitter Livingston Morris would later put on the finishing touches with a rocket over the centerfield wall giving the Voyagers a 9-6 lead. The PaddleHeads would be unfazed on the opposite side and would get back to the lead behind a big push of their own in the 5th. 

A 7-run rally in the 5th would give the PaddleHeads a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. After a bases-loaded walk to Colin Gordon, Rosario singled home 2 runs to give the PaddleHeads the lead back at 10-9. Another double from Sanchez would also do damage before Fogel also got credit for an RBI in his plate appearance. Missoula would lead 14-9 by the time the dust settled in the frame. 

Rosario would lead the PaddleHeads attack with a 4-for-6 performance. Fogel and Sanchez would tally 5 RBIs combined in the win as well with Fogel finishing 3-for-6 and Sanchez going 2-for-6. Gordon and Roberto Pena also had a hand in the win with Gordon finishing 2-for-3 and Pena finishing 3-for-6. 

Arman Sabouri, and Andrew Garcia would also pitch well down the stretch in the final 3 frames allowing Missoula to bring some calm to the waters on a wild night for both offenses. Sabouri would strike out a pair in a scoreless 7th before Garcia wrapped things up in a scoreless 9th inning. Missoula would outscore Great Falls 11-3 from the 5th inning on to pull away in the contest on their way to a game 1 victory. 

The PaddleHeads (10-3) will look to keep to their winning ways going in game 2 of this six game slate Wednesday opposite the Great Falls Voyagers (3-10). Action on a 'Wolf Wednesday' is scheduled to get going with a 7:15 p.m. first pitch from Allegiance Field Ogren Park. If you cannot make it to the field, catch all the action on 102.9 ESPN Missoula and 1029espn.com.