Newcomers help Range Riders top Missoula
The newcomers impressed and Tanner Solomon got his first professional pitching win Tuesday, as the Glacier Range Riders thumped Missoula 9-2 in a Pioneer League game.
Catcher Drew Sims, a Utah Valley product, hit an opposite-field double in his first professional at-bat and drilled a three-run home run to left for the Range Riders.
The latter put Glacier (2-5 this half) up 7-2 in the third inning at Flathead Field.
Joining the party were left fielder Robbie Scott, who doubled in his professional debut, and reliever John Tyler, who worked into and out of a jam in a scoreless eighth inning.
Scott walked during a second-inning two-out rally: Livingston Morris singled, moved to third on Sims’ double, and after Scott walked Brandt Broussard chopped a grounder to second.
Missoula’s McClain O’Connor double-clutched and Broussard beat the throw for an RBI single — then PaddleHeads slugger Jayson Newman threw behind Sims rounding third, only to have the ball sail toward the Glacier bullpen.
Sims and Broussard scored and the Riders had a 3-0 lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Missoula (4-3) might have tied it in the third, but O’Connor was out trying to steal third ahead of an RBI single by Lamar Sparks that cut Glacier’s lead to 3-2; then Newman, the league’s leading home run hitter with 23, grounded out.
Solomon ended up going six innings, allowing four hits and two walks. He fanned four.
The Riders’ Dean Miller hit his team-leading 10th home run, a solo shot, in the seventh to cap the scoring.
Missoula loaded the bases in the eighth on a single, a walk and Newman’s fielder’s choice grounder in which a close play went Missoula’s way at third. But Nick Gatewood lined out and Tyler fanned Keaton Greenwalt to end that threat.
The two teams battle again Wednesday at 7:05 p.m., part of a six game set that ends Sunday.
PaddleHeads 002 000 000 - 2 5 1
Riders 034 001 10x - 9 11 0
Austin Seidel, Dan Swain (6), Connor Schultz (8) and Nick Cicci. Tanner Solomon, Drew Holweger (7), John Tyler (8), Austin Steinfort (9) and Drew Sims.
MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS — Brandon Riley 1-5, Kamron Willman 1-3, Lamar Sparks 1-2, Jayson Neman 0-4, Nick Gatewood 0-3, Keaton Greenwalt 0-4, Cameron Thompson 0-3, Nick Cicci 1-4, McClain O’Connor 1-4.
GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Ben McConnell 1-4, Ryan Cash 0-4, Eddie McCabe 0-1, Sam Linscott 1-4, Brody Wofford 0-4, Dean Miller 2-4, Livingston Morris 2-2, Sims 1-3, Robbie Scott 1-3, Brandt Broussard 2-3.
2B — Morris, Sims, Scott. HR — Miller (10), Sims (1). RBIs — Riley, Sparks, Sims 3, Broussard, McConnell, Miller, Morris. SF — McConnell. CS — O’Connor.