Missoula spoils the Range Riders return home

by Daily Inter Lake
| July 16, 2024 12:00 AM

Missoula uses the long ball to power them to a 6-0 victory over the Range Riders at Glacier Bank Park on Tuesday night.

Luis Navarro hit a grand slam in the second inning and Adam Fogel hit his league-leading 24th home run of the season in the top of the 9th.

Alfredo Villa was dominant for Missoula, pitching eight shutout innings, allowing five hits and striking out nine. It wasn’t until the bottom of the ninth inning when the Range Riders threatened a comeback with the bases loaded, but Andy Atwood and Ajay Sczepkowski struck out to end the game.

Fans celebrated the Range Riders' first game back home since they clinched a playoff berth Saturday. It was the first game to start the second half of the season, between the only teams in the Pioneer League to clinch playoff spots.

“It was great to celebrate on Saturday and it feels good to have a secure playoff spot,” Gabe Howell said. “At the same time, we know the job is not finished, we want to be able to host a playoff series and that is the main goal.”

Missoula finished as the top seed in the Pioneer League for the first half and finished eight games ahead of the Range Riders. In their only other season matchup, Missoula won the series 4-2.

It is the first playoff berth for the Range Riders in just their third season in the Pioneer League, but they know there is still work to do in the second half to reach their preseason goals.

“We are still playing for something to get that home field advantage, and we are playing the guys (Missoula) that we need to beat to get that,” Christian Kirtley said. “It’s the same as always though, play ball no matter what.”

In order to get home field advantage in the playoffs, the Range Riders must finish as one of the top two seeds for the second half of the season again. They have two more games in this series, before hitting the road for three more at Missoula.

Missoula 040 000 002 -- 6 11 0

Glacier 000 000 000 -- 0 6 1

Alfredo Villa and Luis Navarro. Tyler Clayton (5), Jerry Huntzinger, and Freddy Guilamo.

MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS – Patrick Chung 2-5, Roberto Pena 1-5, Mike Rosario 1-4, Adam Fogel 2-4, Alec Sanchez 0-2, Josh Elvir 0-1, Collin Runge 1-3, Cameron Thomspon 0-3, Luis Navarro 2-4, Colin Gordon 0-4.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS – Gabe Howell 1-4, Ty Penner 1-3, Christian Kirtley 2-3, Chad Castillo 0-4, JD McLaughlin 2-4, Andy Atwood 0-3, Ajay Sczepkowski 0-4, Freddy Guilamo 0-3, Kevin Johnson 0-1, Nick Block 0-1.

2B – Runge. Howell. HR – Navarro (4), Fogel (24). RBIs – Fogel 2, Navarro 4.