Paddleheads Score Five in Ninth to Stun Mustangs 9-6

Billings, MT—For the second straight game, the Billings Mustangs (7-9) outhit their opponent but fall to the Missoula Paddleheads (14-2) 9-6.

The Paddleheads trailed by a run heading into the ninth inning before Missoula’s offense awoke and scratched across five runs in the inning.

After Tristan Carranza knocked in the tying run with an RBI single up the middle, Cam Thompson stepped up with the bases loaded and bashed a double off the wall in left field that scored three and pushed their advantage to 9-4. It would be Thompson’s only hit of the game.

The Mustangs had led for the entire game after they scored one in the first. Jalen Garcia came around to score after an error by Cam Thompson at shortstop.

It was a pitchers duel for the rest of the first half of the ballgame. Alex Smith, the Mustangs starter, was sharp through his first five innings. He retired the side in order four out of the first five innings and struck out five while allowing no walks.

Andy Toelken, the starter for Missoula yielded one hit in each of the first three innings but the lone run was from Garcia. He would record five innings as well.

In the fifth, the Mustangs offense roared with four runs on four hits. The Mustangs strung together four consecutive hits off of the right hander Toelken. Anthony Amicangelo, Daniel Cipriano, Caedan Harris, and Robbie Kellerman each delivered an RBI in the inning.

The Paddleheads finally got to Smith in the sixth inning and scored four runs to trail just 5-4 after the sixth. No runs would be scored until that five run ninth inning by Missoula. Trailing 9-5 in the ninth, Chris Eusay disposed of a fastball over the wall in right field to make it 9-6. The Mustangs rally came up short after Jerry Chavarria singled right after the Eusay home run.

The Mustangs left the bases loaded in the seventh and runners on second and third in the eighth, they came up short both times.

The Billings Mustangs and the Missoula Paddleheads are back in action tomorrow from Dehler Park in Billings. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM and don’t forget to catch the pre-game show starting at 6:15 P.M. on ESPN Billings 910 AM/105.5 FM or online at espn910.com.