Offensive Fireworks Leads PaddleHeads To Win

MISSOULA, MT -  A sold out crowd at Allegiance Field at Ogren Park would look forward to a fireworks display after game 4 between the Missoula PaddleHeads and Great Falls Voyagers. The raucous crowd would provide energy throughout the game on a picturesque night for baseball in the Garden City. The PaddleHeads offense would also deliver some fire power of their own throughout the course of the game leading to yet another victory over the Voyagers. 

A 4-run rally in the third inning would give the PaddleHeads an advantage they would never relinquish the rest of the way. Missoula would also tally runs in the final 3 frames when they came to the plate offensively to match production from the Voyagers at every turn in a 12-8 victory. The win clinched a series win over Great Falls in their 4th win in as many nights. 

Missoula would jump out front in the 1st inning thanks in large part to Kamron Willman. The PaddleHeads shortstop would hit a 2-run homer over the wall in right as part of a 3-run rally that made the score 3-0. Willman has been off to a great start offensively having tallied 25 RBIs to this point which ranks in the top 5 in the league. Willman would finish 2-for-4 Friday. Great Falls would hang around in the early going thanks to a push offensively in the 3rd. 

The Voyagers would knot things up at 3 in the top of the 3rd with a rally of their own. Frank Podkul would deliver damage first with a long home run to left field that made the score 3-2. Xane Washington would then later tie things up with a base hit through the middle to knot things up at 3. Podkul would be productive throughout the contest finishing 3-for-5. Great Falls would never close the gap again however after their 3rd inning rally. 

The long ball would get Missoula going in a 4-run rally in the 4th off the bat of Alec Sanchez. The towering fly ball to right field would not come to rest before reaching the train tracks beyond the wall making the score 4-3. Colin Gordon would later strike with an RBI single as part of the rally as Missoula snagged a 7-3 edge. Sanchez would finish off 2-for-4 at the dish and Gordon knocked in a pair as part of a 1-for-4 effort. 

A 455 foot blast to center field off the bat of Adam Fogel would ignite the crowd in the 'peanut inning' as Missoula saw its lead grow to 9-4. It would be the 3rd time this week Fogel has left earth in action with the Voyagers and 7th time overall. The Southern California native also leads the Pioneer League in batting average (.500) and RBIs (29). 

The Voyagers would find the scoreboard consistently down the stretch thanks to more home run power in consecutive innings. The trio of Ryan Major, and Makhi Backstrom, and Marcos Castillo would hit solo home runs in innings 6 through 8. Despite this, Great Falls would never trail by fewer than 4 runs coming down the stretch run. Castillo had a fabulous night in a losing effort finishing 3-for-4 and Major was 2-for-4. Backstrom also scored 2 runs as part of a 1-for-3 effort. 

The PaddleHeads (13-3) will look to keep their roll going Saturday in game 5 of the series against the Voyagers (3-13). The PaddleHeads will sport their specialty 'PowderHeads' alternate uniform for the first time this season. First pitch on a Saturday night at Allegiance Field is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Catch every moment on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.