After starting pitcher Jonathan Clark exited the game due to injury after facing only three batters on Saturday night, the Missoula PaddleHeads’ bullpen stepped up and guided the team to a victory.
A total of five relievers worked together to limit the Ogden Raptors to just two runs, resulting in Zootown’s professional baseball team securing a 10-5 win at Ogren-Allegiance Park. Missoula improved its record to 36-11, the best in the Pioneer League.
Jestin Jones, Mason Bryant, Noah McBride, Mark Timmins, and Andrew Garcia all took on relief pitching duties. Jones pitched the most innings, pitching four after Clark gave up three runs in the first inning. Jones allowed two runs, while Bryant, McBride, Timmins, and Garcia each pitched a scoreless inning.
Ogden (22-25) held a 5-1 lead heading into the sixth inning before Missoula rallied. The PaddleHeads narrowed the deficit to one run in the sixth inning, added two more in the seventh, and then exploded for six runs in the eighth, with three of them coming from a home run by Colin Gordon.
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Alongside Gordon, Missoula players Patrick Chung and Collin Runge also hit home runs. The PaddleHeads amassed 12 hits compared to the Raptors’ 10, with Runge, Mike Rosario, Cam Thompson, and Luis Navarro leading the hosts with two hits each.
Missoula will face Ogden again on Sunday afternoon, marking the end of the first half of the season. Following that, the PaddleHeads will head out on the road for a series in Glacier (Kalispell) starting on Tuesday.
Bill Speltz is Missoulian Sports Editor. Email Bill at bill.speltz@missoulian.com.
