Bitterroot Red Sox Rally to Walk Off Missoula Impact, 9-8

HAMILTON - Boedy Tadvick ripped a walk-off RBI single to cap a two-run rally in the seventh inning, leading the Bitterroot Red Sox to 9-8 victory over the Missoula Impact Baseball Club on Thursday night.

The two young and talented teams battled to the last pitch in a wildly entertaining, see-saw affair that featured clutch hitting and multiple comebacks by both squads.

Landin Ramsay led Impact with two hits, Dillon Gunlock crushed a double to start a late rally, and Sawyer Tackett delivered a clutch two-out RBI single to give Impact the lead in the seventh inning. Caleb Hoppe threw four innings of two-hit ball to help Impact build an early lead. Hunter Johns pitched a gritty 2 and 1/3 innings and Tackett nearly closed it out in the seventh with a strikeout and a ground ball, but an error on a tough play resulted in the Red Sox tying the game.

Conner Ekin led the Red Sox attack with a home run and double. Tadvick and Jackson Lubke each had two hits, and Reese Earp and Owen Marston drilled long doubles.

Missoula opened the scoring in the second inning on a walk to Nolan Oschell, an error, and a bloop RBI single by Matthew Doty. Impact starter Caleb Hoppe sailed through two scoreless innings.

Impact piled on another four runs in the third behind five walks and some bold baserunning. After three walks, Marek Hall drilled a long sacrifice fly to plate a run. Nick Karvandi alertly attempted a delayed steal of home that resulted in a throwing error by the pitcher and Doty also scored on aggressive baserunning to spur the frenetic rally. By the time the dust settled, Missoula had a 5-0 lead and all the momentum.

The Red Sox battled back in the third with three walks and a bases-clearing double to right-center by Reese Earp. However, Hoppe pitched out of the jam thanks to a nice running catch by Madden Hensel in right field on a drive by Brandon Brenneman.

The Red Sox threatened again thanks to an Impact error in the fourth, but Hoppe turned it up a notch and struck out the side. In the fifth, Ekin greeted relief pitcher Johns by crushing a home run over the center field fence to make it 5-4, but Johns pitched out of a one-out jam to keep the lead intact.

The resilient Impact boys came right back in the sixth with a walk and stolen base by Doty and after two strikeouts, a clutch line drive RBI single by Ramsay down the left field line to extend the lead to 6-4. Undeterred, the Red Sox strung together a walk, RBI double by Marston, and a single by Lubke. Tadvick then delivered the key blow with a rocket RBI double to left to give the Red Sox a 7-6 lead. Johns buckled down and got the last two outs to keep it a one-run game.

Gunlock led off the seventh by crushing a booming double off the left field wall, sending the already energized Impact dugout into a state of delirium. Karvandi followed with a sharp infield single to the hole at shortstop. Oschell delivered the tying run with a sacrifice fly to center. With two outs, Tackett, the talented sophomore, calmly stroked a line drive RBI single to right-center to plate the go-ahead run, giving Missoula an 8-7 lead headed into the final frame.

Johns retired Brenneman on the first pitch of the bottom of the seventh, a grounder to short in which Karvandi made a nice play. However, the next two batters walked. Tackett relieved Johns and promptly struck out Marston on a wicked breaking ball for the second out. Lubke then hit a soft grounder up the middle that bounced off Ramsay’s glove and spun away, just enough for Hunter Harsness to score from second base ahead of the throw from Karvandi and sweeping tag by Gunlock. Tadvick then lined the winning single to left-center. Despite the heartbreaking loss, it was a solid showing by Missoula in the back-and-forth game.

“We came out with more intensity and energy than we have all year,” said Ryan Roche, Impact Manager. “The boys played their best ball as of yet in the most enjoyable game to date. Clutch plays and hits kept us in the game and gave us a chance to win. While we ultimately came up short, we played very well.”