MISSOULA — The Missoula PaddleHeads have clinched the Pioneer Baseball League first-half championship for the fourth consecutive year.
Previously, they had won the North Division over the past three years. However, this year the independent league did away with divisions and had a 12-team competition. Missoula dominated the first half, winning by six games.
The PaddleHeads secured their title and a playoff spot by defeating the Boise Hawks 7-4 on Sunday. This victory was Missoula’s fifth in six games, bringing their record to 32-10.
“Today was a special moment,” said PaddleHeads manager Michael Schlact. “It’s great to see these players who have always dreamed of playing in the postseason and now they have the chance to compete for a championship.”
Schlact added, “I wanted this for them so much because I know they will excel in that environment. They are thrilled and it’s a significant moment for everyone. This allows us to rest players in preparation for September. Personally, it was special because today marked my 300th managerial win, which was quite rewarding.”
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The first half officially ends on July 14. The PaddleHeads claimed the title a week early with exceptional hitting, boasting a league-best team batting average of .334.
“The most impressive aspect is that they can score runs in bunches or make adjustments on the fly when needed,” Schlact commented. “Tyler Jeske, our hitting coach, has done an incredible job. It’s not just about changing mechanics, it’s more about approach and mindset. We focus on mental development.”
Boise had a 3-2 lead in the sixth inning when the PaddleHeads turned things around with two runs, helped by a Boise error and wild pitch. Missoula extended their lead to 7-3 in the ninth inning with a Cam Thompson RBI double and a Roberto Pena two-run home run.
Boise threatened in the bottom half, but PaddleHeads closer Andrew Garcia managed to retire the next three hitters, including two by strikeout, to secure the win.
Collin Runge (2-0) earned the win, giving up three runs on five hits with three strikeouts in six innings. Runge, a pitcher and infielder, delighted the crowd with a walk-off single back on June 28.
Jestin Jones and Ethan Swanson also pitched a scoreless inning in relief before Garcia closed out the ninth.
Missoula finished with 11 hits compared to the hosts’ nine. Adam Fogel led the PaddleHeads with three hits, including a double, and increased his league-leading RBI total to 60. Fogel also leads the league in home runs (18) and batting average (.427).
Schlact praised Fogel, stating, “He’s quiet, confident, works hard, and never feels defeated. He has such belief in his abilities that when he steps up to bat, he feels unbeatable.”
Despite facing significant turnover at the start of the season, Missoula quickly gelled as a team.
Schlact mentioned, “Our 32-10 record may seem like we didn’t face adversity, but we had our challenges with key players like Kam Willman, Luis Navarro, and Josh Elvir dealing with injuries. Today, starting pitcher Jonathan Clark got injured, but Runge stepped up as a position player and pitcher.”
Missoula will begin a three-game series at Idaho Falls on Tuesday before concluding the first half of the season with a three-game home series against the Ogden Raptors.
Bill Speltz is Missoulian sports editor. Contact him at bill.speltz@406mtsports.com or on Twitter @billspeltz
