Osprey Fall In Toussaint's Missoula Debut

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho. - Touki Toussaint's first start with Missoula was spoiled with a rough third inning as the Idaho Falls Chukars defeated the Missoula Osprey 11-2 at Melaleuca Field.

Toussaint (0-1) retired the first two batters he faced until allowing back-to-back hits by Ryan O'Hearn and Robert Pehl to give the Chukars an early lead in the first. After setting down the opposition in order in the second, the rookie ran into trouble in the third inning and was chased after 2.2 innings. He allowed seven runs off five hits with two walks and four strikeouts.

Gabriel Moya followed Toussaint in relief and worked 3.1 innings with four runs allowed before Lawrence Pardo pitched a hitless two innings.

Missoula (6-7, 23-28) saw Stewart Ijames knock his fifth home run of the summer in the seventh inning. The O's first run came in the second inning thanks to two Chukars' errors in the frame that allowed Dane McFarland to cross the plate.

Missoula's first hit would not come until the fourth inning when Trevor Mitsui had his first of two singles on the night.

Idaho Falls' (6-6, 26-24) Eric Skoglund, Mike Jeffreys, and Jon Fitzsimmons limited the O's to just four hits. Skoglund went three shutout innings while Jeffreys (2-1) received the win with five relief innings of four-hit ball and one run, the Ijames homer, and six strikeouts without a walk. 

Missoula continues it's seven-game road stretch tomorrow with the second of a three-game series against Idaho Falls at 7:15 p.m. Tickets for all Osprey games are available at the MSO Hub Box Office, by phone at (406) 543-3300 and online at MissoulaOsprey.com.