Missoula Impact Crushes Billings UpperDeck Expos AA, 15-5, in Semifinals
written by Dave Smith
BILLINGS - Caleb Hoppe tossed four strong innings of two-hit baseball and the offense came alive as the Missoula Impact Baseball Club pounded the host Billings UpperDeck Expos AA, 15-5, in the semifinals of the Expos Invitational Tournament last month in Billings.
Kody Evans, Landin Ramsay, and Cash Mickey led the charge with two hits each as Missoula’s relentless attack turned the game into an early rout. Evans went 2-for-2 with a screaming double and two RBIs, leadoff hitter Ramsay set the table with a 2-for-3 day, Mickey went 2-for-3 with a towering double, and Cole Smith singled and drew three walks to reach base in all four of his at-bats. Nolan Oschell and Marek Hall contributed key RBI singles to spark the Impact attack.
In a game that was anticipated to be a pitchers duel, Hoppe held up his end of the bargain with a lively fastball that handcuffed the Expos. The big right-hander struggled with his breaking stuff at times but displayed tremendous grit in front of a lively crowd, working his way out of several jams to depart with a commanding 10-2 lead. Joey Supola finished it out with an effective inning of relief, allowing only one earned run.
Missoula jumped on Expos starter Adam Johnson from the outset. Smith ripped a one-out single to left and Evans drilled a line drive single to left-center to initiate a one-out rally. However, Johnson escaped by inducing a double play ground ball. Hoppe retired the side in order in the bottom of the first to
In the second inning, Dillon Gunlock and Marek Hall led off with walks and Oschell delivered the key knock of the day, a line drive RBI single to left-center to make it 1-0. The early lead seemed to ignite the energy and Missoula hitters patiently exploited some control problems by Johnson, who walked five batters and was later injured on a passed ball play at the plate and had to come out of the game. Logan Carr, the hard-throwing righty, came in and issued two free passes of his own, then surrendered a line drive RBI single to left by Hall to cap the big inning and give Impact a 7-0 lead.
Billings added a run in the bottom of the second but squandered an opportunity with a runner getting picked off and Hoppe working out of a bases loaded jam.
Missoula added three more runs in the third as Ramsay lined a two-out single, Smith walked, and Evans smoked an RBI double down the left field line and then scored on a wild pitch to make it 10-1. Impact tacked on five more runs in the fifth on singles by Mickey and Ramsay and four more walks.
The convincing victory by Impact was impressive in that the Expos AA have a solid squad featuring three college commits, including two that are headed to Blue Mountain Community College in the highly touted Northwest Athletic Conference.