Missoula Impact Rallies to Defeat Cranbrook, Wins a Pair in Libby Tournament

LIBBY - Kody Evans and Nolan Oschell turned in sparkling starting pitching performances to lead the Missoula Impact Baseball Club to two wins last Saturday, 7-6 over the Cranbrook Bandits and 9-3 in convincing fashion over the host Libby Loggers to go 2-2 in the Libby Loggertown Wood Bat Tournament at the Lumber.

 Madden Hensel delivered a clutch two-run single in the seventh inning to send the Cranbrook game to extra innings. Impact rallied for two more runs to walk it off in the eighth inning, spurred by a key RBI single to center by Dillon Gunlock. Joey Supola had a key RBI single that knotted the score in the seventh inning, spurring the relentless Impact rally.

 Missoula showed great heart and resilience in rallying from down 2-1 in the sixth, 5-2 in the seventh, and 6-5 in the eighth to take the win over the Bandits. Evans handcuffed Cranbrook, tossing six innings off five-hit ball and allowing only two runs. Marek Hall got the victory with two innings of brilliant relief, allowing zero earned runs.

 Nick Karvandi drilled a booming 3-RBI triple to right center to blow open the nightcap against the Loggers. Oschell was again dominant, allowing one hit and striking out seven in four innings of work.

 In the tournament opener on Friday night against the Central Alberta Wolves, a club team from Calgary-Red Deer area, Impact fell behind 14-5 to the but rallied in the late innings. Cole Smith crushed an RBI double off the fence in right-center and a line drive single to left center to key the comeback but Central Alberta held on to win 14-11.

 Smith, Karvandi, and Landin Ramsay led Missoula with three hits each and Karvandi had four RBIs. Hall drilled a key two-run double to deep left-center in the opener.

 Missoula was solid defensively for the first three games, committing only two errors. However, the Kalispell Sluggers took advantage of a depleted Impact pitching staff and porous defense in a sloppy finale in a light rain, winning 21-1, on Sunday morning.

 Impact is back in action this Saturday with a twin bill against the Libby Loggers at 1:00 at Kelly Pine Field in Bonner. Come on out and watch some great baseball on a sunny afternoon!