Chaos Reigns in the North as Billings, Missoula Split

Jayson Newman-Dodd got the scoring started for Missoula on Sunday morning, and the PaddleHeads never looked back, pounding 15 hits in the 7-inning affair for a 10-4 win in game one. Keaton Greenwalt fell a homer short of the cycle, and McClain O'Connor doubled and went yard twice, driving in four to highlight an impressive outing at the plate. Luke Trueman's second inning balk that scored a run compounded the Mustangs' early woes.  

Game two was an entirely different story, as Billings nicked a 2-1 win to pull honors even for the series. Two early RBI knocks for Mikey Edie and Casey Harford proved enough run support for Trevor Jackson, who allowed just two hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. Missoula was unable to find grass the rest of the way, as Cam Tullar and Nate Jenkins slammed the door while striking out three between them. Mark Timmins did all he could out of the PaddleHeads bullpen to give his offense a chance, putting in four innings of scoreless work. O'Connor continued a stellar day at the plate, walking in all three of his plate appearances.  

Schneider Solid in Tight Owlz Victory 

Northern Colorado hurler Austin Schneider fanned six batters in an impressive six inning start, allowing just three hits as Rocky Mountain's scoring cooled to close the weekend. Jackson Coutts opened the scoring for NoCo in the top of the first with a two-RBI single. He's off to a hot start with four hits in his first two games for the Owlz after signing on Friday. Trailing 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth, Vibes pinch hitter Brandon Trammell came through with a two-RBI single to give them life, but CJ Grant-DeBose stranded two and Keon Taylor closed it out in the ninth in a 5-3 win for the Owlz. Vibes outfielder Casey Petersen became the first PBL player this season with multiple triples, earning his second three-bagger in the eighth. 

Grand Junction Grabs Lead Early, Survives Late in Win 

After dropping four of their first five, Grand Junction found some momentum heading into week two with an 8-6 win over Ogden. Second inning jacks from Ron Washington Jr. and Kokko Figueiredo set the tone for the winning side, with Joe Johnson contributing four hits on the day. Aggressive baserunning including a run-scoring double steal in the seventh stretched the lead to six, before a five-run frame for Ogden gave the home fans a glimmer of hope. Trey Morrill had other ideas, punching out four to preserve the Jackalope lead in the final two innings. Salvatore Gozzo starred at the plate again for the Raptors, falling a double shy of the cycle and plating half of his side's runs. 

Hawks Red-Hot in Highway Series 

Boise made it an impressive five wins in a row with an emphatic 13-5 win leaving Idaho Falls fans waiting a little longer for their first home win. After the Chukars grabbed a 1-0 lead in the third on a wild pitch, Boise scored in every frame the rest of the way. Ronnie Allen Jr. homered twice, Kenny Oyama doubled twice, and Kole Kaler stole three bags in five appearances on the basepaths in an all-around dominant offensive showing. Trevor Minder also homered in a four-hit effort. Chris Monroe remained a bright spot for the Chukars with a double and a home run in the losing effort.