Gunlock and Karvandi Power, Evans Gem Spark Impact Split with Billings UpperDeck Expos
MISSOULA – Dillon Gunlock and Nicholas Karvandi hit towering home runs to lead the Missoula Impact Baseball Club to a 13-4 victory over the Billings UpperDeck Expos in their season opener on Saturday at Playfair Park in Missoula.
In a clash of two of the top 18U high school club teams in Montana, the twin bill lived up to the hype.
Southpaw Kody Evans tossed a sparkling five innings off five-hit ball in the opener for the win, allowing no earned runs and notching seven strikeouts. Hunter Johns closed it out with two scoreless innings of relief. Billings took the nightcap, 7-2, behind a strong outing from right-hander Logan Carr.
Missoula jumped all over the Expos in the opener with a six-run fourth inning that blew open a competitive game. Evans led off the inning with a ringing double off the wall in right field, and Nolan Oschell reached on an error. Cole Smith then smoked a line drive RBI single down the right field line. After Marek Hall walked and two runs scored on wild pitches, Gunlock launched a two-run homer down the left field line. Two batters later, the talented sophomore Karvandi crushed a long solo homer to left-center.
Billings responded immediately in the nightcap as Colton Wells drilled the first pitch of the game over the center field fence for a home run. The Expos stretched the lead to 6-1 in the third inning on a clutch two-RBI single to left field by Pablo Guzman and an RBI single by Wells.
Sophomore Madden Hensel, a high upside hurler, started the second game for Impact. Hensel struggled with his command but showed flashes of brilliance in notching five strikeouts and working his way out of jams in the first two innings. Ramsay pitched 2 and 2/3 innings of hitless relief.
Gunlock, Karvandi, and Landin Ramsay led the way with two hits each for Impact in the opener. Gunlock had three RBIs and Karvandi added two RBIs. Smith made a great running catch on a bases-loaded line drive by Cannon Hoff down the right field line in the third inning of the opener, helping Evans escape a jam. In the second game, the Expos hurlers handcuffed Missoula limiting only a sharp single by freshman Matthew Doty, a line drive single by Ramsay, an infield single by Evans, and a sacrifice fly by Smith in the darkness-shortened five-inning game.
Wells led Billings with an impressive 4-for-6 day with a double and home run. Ramsay sparked Missoula with a 3-for-6 day.
“The team really showed they’re ready for the season and they’re here to play the game right.” said Ryan Roche, Missoula Impact Manager. “With a few adjustments we’re going to be a hard team to beat and a fun team to watch.”