6-Run 9th Leads Raptors Past PaddleHeads Friday

MISSOULA, MT- The Missoula PaddleHeads opened a 3-game set at home on Friday night opposite the Ogden Raptors. The defending league champion Raptors frankly did not look the part over the first 12 games of the season losing 10 games out the gates. Ogden turned the tide over the last few weeks however, bringing their record close to the .500 mark in games that followed. At the tail end of the 1st half, these games would be a true test for Ogden. Surely the Raptors came into this series looking to prove they were not the same team from the opening 12 games of the season. That message was surely delivered.  

Ogden came out the gates with confidence, scoring in 3 of the first 4 innings to grab a lead. Missoula would not lead themselves over the course of the first 7 innings. A huge push offensively would change that in the 8th inning however in an inning that looked to turn the tide for good for the homesteading PaddleHeads. In another wild sequence, Ogden showed characteristics of a defending champion in a rally that plated 6-runs that vaulted the Raptors in front to silence the crowd. After all the dust settled it would be a win to celebrate for Ogden in a 16-14 victory for the visitors. 

The Raptors would snag the lead scoring 8 runs over the first 4 innings. Catcher Chris Sargent brought Ogden to the lead, first hitting a home run to center field in the 1st making the score 2-0. An RBI double from Raymond Gil did damage in the next half inning into right center in another swing with 2-outs recorded. Sargent would strike again in the 4th with an RBI single as the 4th ended with Ogden out in front by a tally of 9-3. Sargent knocked in a game high 5 runs in a 3-for-6 performance. Missoula would begin to chip away in the bottom of the 4th. 

Roberto Pena would go deep to right field in the 4th to bring home a pair to cut the Raptor lead to 9-5. 3 innings later in the 7th, Alec Sanchez would bring Missoula closer with a lead off home run to right. Patrick Chung would later strike with a single to right that brought home 2 runs. All of a sudden the Raptors lead was down to 9-8 at the end of 7. An absolutely wacky sequence of events would then take place in the final 2 frames with the lead changing hands. 

Luis Navarro would kick off what would be a 6-run rally in the bottom of the 8th with a single to drive in Mike Rosario. Navarro was productive throughout finishing with 2 doubles as part of a 3-for-5 performance. Missoula would then vault to the lead in a very unique way. 

With the bases loaded, Cameron Thompson would lace a line drive to right that would go directly over the head of right fielder Pierce Howard. Not only would this clear the bases, but Thompson would come all the way around and score himself on an inside the park grand slam. This gave Missoula their first lead at 13-10. Thompson had 5 RBIs in his at-bats finishing 2-for-4. 

Patrick Chung would seemingly land the knockout blow in the next at-bat after the home run from Thompson hitting a long home run over the wall in right center that saw the lead grow to 4. Cung enjoyed another solid night at the top of the order finishing 3-for-6. To say that the Raptors would have something up their sleeve on the flipside to rebut the effort from Missoula would be stating it lightly. 

A pair of bases loaded walks would start an inning that would prove to be a disaster for Missoula. Nick Ultsch would then deliver the swing that would prove to be the final blow, clearing the bases with a triple to right center to give the Raptors the lead again at 15-14. This would be the only hit of the night for Ultsch but it proved to come at the perfect time to highlight a 6-run rally to seemingly bring the Raptors back from the dead. The first punch has now been landed in this 3-game series. The question now will be centered around how both teams respond. 

Game 2 of this series between the PaddleHeads (35-11) and Raptors (22-24) is set for Saturday night from Allegiance Field at Ogren Park. First pitch from the Garden City is set for 7:15 p.m. If you can't make it out to 'Food Truck Night' catch all the action on ESPN Missoula 102.9 F.M.