SPORTS

First-place Voyagers keep it rolling

Steve Schreck
sschreck@greatfallstribune.com

With the way things have been going on the mound these days, the Great Falls Voyagers don’t need much.

They got just enough Wednesday at Centene Stadium, where some timely hitting and another great performance by their pitching staff helped in disposing of the visiting Helena Brewers by the score of 4-2.

“I really like how we’ve been playing,” first baseman Anthony Villa said. “Everyone understands the importance of this, but I don’t think anyone’s pressing. Everyone’s having a lot of fun.”

None more so than Villa Wednesday night.

His two-out double down the left field line, which barely snuck inside third base for a fair ball, broke a 1-all tie in the bottom of the seventh, sending Joel Booker and Mitch Roman across home for a 3-1 advantage.

“It’s a great feeling,” Villa, the 19th round selection out of St. Mary's (Calif.), said. “We’ve had guys battle every AB for us, and to kind of hop in the mix and be one of those guys to get the big hit tonight feels great.”

More than 2,000 spectators attended the contest on what was Great Falls High Night of the Crosstown Clash. Great Falls moved to 14-9 in the second half – 1.5 ahead of the Billings Mustangs – and 35-26 overall. It has won five out of its last six games.

“I think there’s always something you can improve on, but we’re playing good baseball,” Great Falls manager Thompson said. “We are getting outstanding pitching.”

A mammoth solo homer from Helena’s Ronnie Gideon in the following inning made it 3-2, while Frank Califano doubled up Helena in the eighth after a pair of throwing errors allowed him to score.

Aron McRee, a 6-foot, 180-pound right-hander who earlier this season was a part of the Pioneer League’s all-star game, had a spotless performance on the hill. In six innings of work, the University of Montevallo (Ala.) product relinquished zero runs, gave up five hits and fanned five batters, dropping his ERA to 2.19.

“Aron’s been rock-solid for us,” Villa said. “He’s been nails all year. We know what we are going to get every time he’s out on the mound, and he’s a lot of fun to play defense for. He’s been great.”

In the first at-bat of the game for the Voyagers, the center fielder Booker blasted a liner off the wall in left for a double, then the shortstop Roman laid down a perfect bunt along the third base line. The ensuing throw to first was wayward, and Booker rounded third for the first run of the contest.

The Brewers (23-37, 8-14) threatened in the top of the fifth when Cooper Hummel doubled to left fielder Jackson Glines. Trever Morrison, who had singled before Hummel, put the wheels on and eyed home plate.

But Glines fired a bullet to third baseman Brady Conlan, and Conlan tagged out Morrison, who overran third and couldn’t get back to the bag in time as he and the third base coach failed to communicate effectively.

Helena evened the game at 1-all in the top of the seventh when reliever Adam Panayotovich came in for McRee. Although he loaded the bases with only out, Panayotovich regained himself and ended up surrendering just one run, striking out Ryan Aguilar to end the frame.

“Pany pitched through it,” Thompson said. “He kept us in the game. He didn’t put up a crooked number. He walked a couple guys, but he got out of the inning.”

Matt Foster earned the save in the ninth.

Thompson’s club heads back to Helena for a two-game series Thursday and Friday before returning to Centene Stadium Saturday against Missoula.