Eagles fly past Braves

Flathead second baseman Micah Engle (9) puts the tag on Missoula Big Sky's Simon Wilson (1) after Wilson was picked off first base at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead pitcher Eli Coopman (6) delivers against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Hunter Fann (11) drives in a run with an RBI single against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead shortstop Hunter Fann (11) fields a ground ball against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Liam Rech (4) connects on a double against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Miles Arrowsmith (2) connects on a single against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead's Eli Coopman (6) drives in a run with an RBI double against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Flathead centerfielder Dillon Wink (7) hits the cutoff man on a throw into the infield against Missoula Big Sky at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Missoula Big Sky's Ethan Paugh (10) celebrates with teammates after his 3-run home run against Flathead at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

Missoula Big Sky shortstop Rowan Miculka (6) backhands a ground ball against Flathead at ABS Park on Tuesday, April 28. (Casey Kreider/Daily Inter Lake)
Casey Kreider

by Daily Inter Lake
| April 29, 2026 12:00 AM

Ethan Paugh hit a three-run home run and Missoula Big Sky used a nine-run first inning to take a 15-4 victory over Flathead in Western AA baseball Tuesday at ABS Park.

Paugh’s homer came in the fifth inning to put the Eagles ahead 13-2, they added two more in the inning.

An early double from Rowan Miculka put Big Sky (9-1-1) on the board in the first inning. The Eagles then took advantage of eight free passes — four walks and four hit batsmen — to springboard to a 9-0 advantage before the Braves (5-9) had a chance to bat.

Eli Coopman helped the Flathead offense show some life in the fourth with an RBI double to center field that scored Micah Engle. Coopman came home on a passed ball later in the frame.

Hunter Fann added another run with an RBI single in the fifth, and scored on a fielders choice.

The game ended after five innings due to the run rule.

Paugh went four innings on the mound, striking out five. He allowed two runs on five hits.

Coopman threw 3 2-3 innings for the Braves, allowing five runs and fanning 11.

Big Sky 910 05 - 15 6 0

Flathead 000 22 - 4 9 1

Ethan Paugh, Remington Howard (5) and Johnson. Landon Jacobsen, Eli Coopman (1), Jacobe Sullenger (5) and Leum Saisbury.

MISSOULA BIG SKY — Colter Nicolarsen 1-1, Rowan Miculka 1-3, Remington Howard 0-2, Ethan Paugh 1-2, Isaac Thome 0-3, Matthew Doty 1-2, Uriah Johnson 1-3, Caleb Hood 0-3, Tait Ramsay 0-2.

FLATHEAD — Dillon Wink 2-3, Hunter Fann 1-3, Liam Rech 1-3, Leum Saidbury 0-2, Micah Engle 3-3, Eli Coopman 1-3, Miles Arrowsmith 1-2, Jacobe Sullenger 0-2, Fischer Lee 0-2.

2B — Miculka, Coopman, Rech. HR — Paugh. RBIs — Paugh 5, Nicolarsen 2, Miculka, Doty, Hood, Ramsay. Fann, Engle, Coopman.