If their season-opening 12-game road trip is any indication, the Missoula PaddleHeads might just be the Pioneer League pacesetters again this season.
Zootown’s pro baseball team finished with the most regular-season wins the past three years and is currently tied with the Glacier Range Riders and Northern Colorado Owlz for the best record in 2024. All three teams are 9-3, but the PaddleHeads haven’t had a home game, while Glacier has had nine and Northern Colorado six.
Missoula will play its first home game against the Great Falls Voyagers on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Ogren-Allegiance Park. The Voyagers have stumbled to a 3-9 start and lost their last three games.
The PaddleHeads will try to start a new win streak at home. They had a string of six straight wins snapped by the Ogden Raptors on Sunday afternoon, 7-4, in front of 1,649 fans at Lindquist Field.
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Missoula struggled to deliver with runners on base, stranding 10. Ogden (2-10) used a strong performance by starting pitcher Rafael Vazquez, who surrendered just two earned runs on four hits with nine strikeouts in six innings.
The Raptors finished with 10 hits to eight for the PaddleHeads. Josh Elvir collected a single and double to lead Missoula and teammate Alec Sanchez had two singles and two RBIs.
Key to the outcome was Ogden’s start. The hosts raced to a 6-0 lead in the first three innings and held on after Missoula crept within two, 6-4, in the eighth frame.
Connor Schultz (2-1) took his first loss. The Iowa native allowed six runs on eight hits in the first four innings.
Bill Speltz is Missoulian Sports Editor. Email Bill at bill.speltz@missoulian.com.
