Smoke Forces Suspension of Game
HELENA, MONT. - Heavy smoke in the Helena area forced a suspension of a game between the Missoula Osprey (38-26) and the Helena Brewers (26-37) after five innings on Friday night. The game, which will be continued on September 7 prior to the regularly-scheduled game at 4:05 pm, currently has the Brewers leading 8-2.
Before the suspension, Trent Clark had accumulated a 4-for-4 night with three RBI for Helena. Clark put the Brewers on the board in the first inning, driving in a pair with a two-RBI single before Gilbert Lara plated the third run of the inning with a single of his own.
Leading 3-0, Helena tacked on two more runs in the second, as a single down the left field line from Steven Karkenny and another RBI-single from Clark made it 5-0 Helena.
Missoula answered right back in the top of the third inning, scoring its only two runs of the suspended game to cut the deficit to three at 5-2. Isan Diaz blasted what would be his 12th homer of the year before Austin Byler tripled and came in on an RBI-single from Francis Christy.
Diaz is 2-for-3 in the game, while Christy has gone 2-for-2 with a triple.
With the game teetering on suspension, Helena plated three more runs in the bottom of the fifth as Yerison Pena led off with a single and came around to score on a two-RBI double from Karkenny. The final run came home on a squeeze bunt from Jose Cuas.
The two-RBI double was Karkenny's third hit in four trips to the plate, as he currently sports three runs scored and two doubles with three RBI.
Following a brief meeting with both coaches, the umpiring crew of Stu Bertrand and Mike Rains suspended play.
Missoula will continue a four-game road trip on Saturday when it travels to Great Falls for the first of a two-game series at 7 pm.
###osprey###