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Missoula PaddleHeads

Missoula Falls in Second-Half Opener

July 29, 2015 - Pioneer League (PL)
Missoula PaddleHeads News Release


MISSOULA, MONT. - The second-half of the 2015 Pioneer League season kicked off on Tuesday night as the Missoula Osprey (23-15) dropped a 7-5 decision to the Helena Brewers (17-20) from Missoula's Ogren Park Allegiance Field.

The Brewers, which finished in last place in the first-half of the season, came out strong offensively in the second-half, scoring once in the first, once in the second, three times in the third and once in the fourth to carry a 6-1 lead into the home-half of the fourth. A sacrifice fly and an error accounted for the first two runs of the game for Helena before doubles from Jake Gatewood and Jose Cuas highlighted the three-run third.

Cuas finished the game 2-for-4 with two doubles, while Troy Stokes and George Iskenderian also notched two-hit nights.

Trailing 6-1 headed into the bottom of the fourth, Missoula responded for four runs in that inning, but that was all the offense the Osprey could muster. Left-hander Jake Drossner had little trouble through the first three innings, allowing just one run over the span, but three wild pitches in the fourth allowed three of the four runs to come home. The other run for the Osprey came in on an RBI-single from Francis Christy, as the backstop finished 2-for-2 with two runs scored and his second consecutive multi-hit game.

Drossner finished the game having allowed five runs (four earned) on nine hits and one walk while striking out four to improve to 1-1 with the victory. Alex Farina contributed 2.0 scoreless innings of relief before Marcos Diplan fired scoreless eighth and ninth innings to record his first save of the season.

Luke Lowery was the only other Osprey player to finish with multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a pair of singles. Leadoff man Isan Diaz had a 16-game hitting streak snapped on Tuesday, finishing 0-for-3, but with two walks, he has still managed to reach in all 33 games he has played this year. Austin Byler finished 1-for-3 with a run scored to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

Starter Dallas Newton took the loss for Missoula and fell to 1-3, allowing six runs (five earned) on nine hits and two walks over the first four innings. The Osprey bullpen pitched effectively the rest of the way, combining for 5.0 innings of one-run ball while striking out six. Matt Lees and Dan Savas turned in one scoreless inning, while lefty Bryant Holtmann tossed 3.0 innings and struck out five.

Missoula will finish a two-game series with the Brewers tomorrow at 7:05 pm MT.

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