Hensel and Ramsay Back Solid Start by Oschell, Hoppe Walk-off Keys Impact 3-2 Victory over Frenchtown
BONNER - Nolan Oschell tossed a sparkling complete game and Caleb Hoppe drilled a two-run walk-off double to lead the Missoula Impact Baseball Club to a thrilling 3-2 walk-off victory over the Frenchtown Broncs summer club team on Friday evening at Kelly Pine Field.
Madden Hensel and Landin Ramsay each had two hits, including a double, and keyed the winning three-run rally in the final frame with clutch hits. Oschell had great command on the hill all afternoon, notching 11 strikeouts with no walks and no earned runs allowed in seven efficient innings.
Hensel, the athletic sophomore, sparked the winning rally with a one-out line drive single to right. After an error, the left-handed hitting Ramsay barreled up an RBI double to left-center, cutting the gap to 2-1. Kody Evans was intentionally walked to load the bases. Broncs third basemen Cash Mickey then made a nice play on a chopper by Dillon Gunlock to cut down the potential tying run at the plate. With two outs and the game on the line, Hoppe hammered a towering drive that sailed over over the head of the center fielder, plating Ramsay and Evans for the game-winner.
“Coming off a tough loss the night prior, the bats came out very cold, but Oschell pitched his best outing of the year and gave us a chance to win,” said Ryan Roche, Missoula Impact Manager. “We finally came out with some energy in the seventh. Clutch hits by Hensel and Ramsay gave Hoppe the chance to win it and he delivered.”
Sensational freshman lefty Dawson Rodoni and sophomore Brooks Day turned in stellar pitching performances for the impressive young Frenchtown squad. Rodoni struck out eight in three innings of one-hit baseball and Day fanned another five, giving up only one hit until the final sequence in the seventh. Impact was missing key starters Cole Smith and Nick Karvandi due to an injury and a school trip, respectively. Nevertheless, the young Broncs southpaws were superb and have extremely bright futures.
Keaton Elliott, Missoula’s high upside eighth grader, made several nice plays at second base including a running catch in shallow right fielder that saved two runs and got Oschell out of a jam. Elliott also fought off a tough two-strike pitch from Day to hit the grounder in the seventh that went for the error.
Hensel was 2-for-3 and the red-hot Ramsay went 2-for-2 and also added two walks. Hoppe registered his third extra base hit in his last 10 at bats.
It was all Frenchtown for most of the crisp affair. Rodoni gave up an infield single to Ramsay on the first pitch of the game but stranded the runner at third by striking out the side, and shut down Impact for three innings. The Broncs got on the scoreboard in the third on a bunt single by Jordan Warner and a throwing error, then a line drive RBI single to right by Brady Sypolt. Kaden Blowers, Rodoni, and sophomore Clayton Mitchell had hits and the Broncs capitalized on an error to add an insurance run in the fourth.
Hensel delivered a double down the right field line in the sixth, but Day got Gunlock on a sharp comebacker to end the inning.
Oschell impressively gained velocity and command as the game went on, recording five strikeouts in the last two innings.
Missoula (12-9) is back in action this Wednesday with a doubleheader against the Dillon Cubs in Dillon.