Liniak’s walk-off homer caps Range Riders comeback win

by Daily Inter Lake
| July 28, 2025 12:00 AM

After losing the lead and giving up four runs in the top of the ninth inning, the Glacier Range Riders looked well on their way to dropping a fifth-straight heartbreaking game to the Missoula PaddleHeads before Kingston Liniak saved the game on Sunday with one big swing.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, TJ Clarkson and Logan Beard both walked before Eli Paton doubled home Clarkson to bring the game to 5-3. The next batter Liniak, drove a pitch over the left field wall at Glacier Bank Park to send the home crowd into a frenzy and snap a four-game skid, winning 6-5.

On Saturday, the Range Riders (4-8 in the second half) were blown out by the PaddleHeads (8-4 in the second half) 17-2. It was the fourth-straight loss after winning the series opener and dropping the previous three games in a row by one run.

It was a strong start from Ty Bothwell, who held the PaddleHeads to one earned run, three hits, striking out seven across six innings. Jason Franks came on in the ninth and gave up a leadoff home run to Leyton Barry to tie the game at two, and the PaddleHeads continued to stack baserunners.

Franks retired the next two batters with strikeouts before his command started to slip. He walked three batters, hit another, before Colin Gordon’s two-run single made the game 5-3, ending his outing.

Liniak plated the first run for the Range Riders in the sixth inning with an RBI double to center field, scoring Paton. Angel Mendoza followed with a triple to give the Range Riders their first lead of the game, 2-1.

Glacier outhit Missoula 9-5 with Paton and Liniak each collecting multi-hit games and scoring twice. Liniak finished with four RBIs. Beard walked three times, recorded a hit, and scored a run.

Missoula 001 000 004 - 5 5 1

Glacier 000 002 004 - 6 9 0

Brendan Beard (5), Matthew Taubensee (6), Noah Owen (7), Nick Bautista (8), Zac Lampton (9), and R. Chesney. Ty Bothwell (6), Jacob Hasty (7), Luke Cooper (8), Jason Franks, E O’Neil (9), and Angel Mendoza.

MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS — Colby Wilkerson 1-3, Roberto Pena 0-4, Collin Gordon 2-3, Adam Fogel 0-5, Leyton Barry 1-3, Kamron Willman 1-4, Taylor Smith 0-4, R. Chesney 0-3. Jeremy Piatkiewicz 0-1.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — TJ Clarkson 1-3, John Mabry 1-5, Logan Beard 1-2, Eli Paton 2-3, Kingston Liniak 2-4, Jack Lynch 0-4, Gabe Howell 1-4, Angel Mendoza 1-4, Kyle Ashworth 0-3.

2B — Wilkerson. Howell, Liniak, Paton. 3B — Mendoza. HR — Barry (4), Liniak (9). RBIs — Barry 2, Gordon 2, Pena. Liniak 4, Mendoza, Paton.

Saturday

Missoula 17, Glacier 2

The PaddleHeads collected 20 hits and used a 10-run third inning to put the game away early as the Range Riders offense was held to just two runs in their blowout loss.

Adam Fogel hit a two-run homer in the first inning off starter Jared Engman and doubled home another run in the third inning, finishing the day with three hits and four RBIs.

Engman lasted just 2 1-3 innings, allowing nine hits and 10 earned runs and was responsible for all three of the PaddleHeads home runs. After Fogel’s double in the third, Gordon laced a two-run single before Barry and Taylor Smith hit back-to back solo shots to end Engman’s night.

Howell led off the seventh inning with a double and came around to score on Ashworth’s RBI single for the Range Rider first run of the game but by that time they were down 15-1. Mendoza plated the final run in the ninth inning, a solo blast to center field, his fifth of the season.

Missoula 2010 102 020 - 17 20 0

Glacier 000 000 101 - 2 8 0

Matthew Sox (7), D. Lopez (8), Dawson Day (9), and Taylor Smith. Jared Engman (3), Nick Zenga (5), Cam Cowan (6), Davis Pratt (7), TJ Clarkson (8), Kingston Liniak (9), and Angel Mendoza.

MISSOULA PADDLEHEADS — Wilkerson 3-5, Mike Rosario 0-3, Willman 0-2, Pena 1-5, Fogel 3-6, Gordon 2-6, Barry 3-5, Smith 3-5, Piatkiewicz 2-3, Sanchez 3-4.

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — Clarkson 1-5, Mabry 1-3, Beard 0-3, Xavier Casserilla 0-4, Lynch 0-4, Howell 1-4, Mendoza 2-4, Ashworth 2-3, Darrel Wood 1-4.

2B — Sanchez 2, Barry, Fogel, Pena, Piatkiewicz. Howell. HR — Barry (3), Fogel (22), Smith (7). Mendoza (5). RBIs — Fogel 4, Pena 3, Barry 2, Gordon 2, Sanchez 2, Wilkerson 2, Piatkiewicz, Smith. Ashworth, Mendoza.