PaddleHeads pin Tuesday loss on Riders

Nick Gatewood’s first-inning two-run single pushed Missoula out of gates fast, and the PaddleHeads downed the Glacier Range Riders 6-3 in a Pioneer League baseball game Tuesday at Flathead Field.

It was the fourth straight win for the North Division-leading PaddleHeads (26-10), who also got an RBI triple from Cameron Thompson in the third inning and — after two errors held Glacier closed the gap to 4-3 — single runs in the sixth and seventh.

Livingston Morris had an RBI single as the Range Riders (13-22) fought back from a 3-0 deficit. Two errors on Missoula second baseman McClain O’Connor gave Glacier a boost in the fifth: the second came on Ryan Cash’s bases-loaded hgrounder, allowing Brenton Davis and Brandt Broussard to score.

The Riders managed just five hits against four Missoula pitchers.

The teams battled again Wednesday; the game had not ended at press time.

PaddleHeads 301 001 100 - 6 12 2

Range Riders 010 020 000 - 3 5 0

Austin Crowson, Dan Swain (6), Zach Torra (8), Cody Thompson (9) and Nick Cicci. Andrew Stout, Tanner Solomon (5), Bret Barnett (7), Austin Steinfort (9) and Justin Mazzone. W — Crowson (3-0). L — Stout (0-3).

MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS — Brandon Riley 4-5, McClain O’Connor 0-5, Lamar Sparks 1-5, Jayson newman 1-4, Nick Gatewood 1-5, Keaton Greenwalt 2-4, Cameron Thompson 2-3, Cicci 0-3, Kamron Willman 1-3.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Ben McConnell 2-5, Ryan Cash 1-4, Sam Linscott 0-4, Brody Wofford 1-3, Livingston Morris 0-3, Justin Mazzone 1-3, Eddie McCabe 0-4, Brenton Davis 0-3, Brandt Broussard 0-4.

2B — Newman, Wofford. 3B — Greenwalt, Thompson. RBIs — Gatwood 2, Thompson 2, Willman, Greenwalt, Cash 2, Morris. SB — Cicci. SF — Thompson.