Helena, MT - Mired in a slump, Nick Egnatuk was due for a big hit. In a tie game with two outs in the ninth, Egnatuk delivered a monster blow, taking a first pitch from Vince Arobio and launching it a mile over the left field wall, giving the Brewers
Helena, MT - Mired in a slump, Nick Egnatuk was due for a big hit. In a tie game with two outs in the ninth, Egnatuk delivered a monster blow, taking a first pitch from Vince Arobio and launching it a mile over the left field wall, giving the Brewers their second walk off win, a 6-5 final, in as many nights. The Brewers now have four walk off wins in 2018, with three of them coming against the Voyagers.
Both teams were scoreless through the first three innings, but for the second straight night, Great Falls struck first, as Corey Zangari hit a solo homer in the fourth. Helena struck back with a blast of their own, as Jean Carmona hit a two run homer to deep right center, giving Helena the 2-1 lead.
However, the lead was short lived, as the first three reached for Great Falls in the fifth against starter Justin Bullock. He got Zangari to strike out, but then Romy Gonzalez hit a grounder to third that could have been an inning ending double play, but after Egnatuk tagged the third base bag, his throw to first skipped away, scoring two runs to give the Voyagers the 3-2 lead.
Great Falls added two in the sixth, but Helena got both runs back in the bottom of the inning with a triple from Yeison Coca that scored on a sacrifice fly from Carmona. Chad McClanahan then launched a home run to right, his third of the year, making it a 5-4 game in favour of Great Falls.
Brady Schanuel pitched a scoreless seventh, but back to back doubles put runners at second and third with nobody out in the eighth, prompting a call to the bullpen for Chad Whitmer (W,2-0). With the infield in, Whitmer got a ground out from Maiker Feliz, a strikeout of Jay Estes, and a flyout to right from Ian Dawkins to end the threat and keep it a one run game.
Helena took advantage of Great Falls miscues to tie the game in the eighth, as a leadoff walk from Pablo Abreu advanced to second on a bunt from Jesus Lujano, but a fielding error from Feliz at third allowed Lujano to reach. Coca then bunted both runners into scoring position, and a Carmona ground out to second brought home Abreu, tying the game at five. However, the Brewers couldn't score the go ahead run, keeping the game tied going into the ninth.
Whitmer got the first two he faced, but a single from Zangari reached second on a wild pitch to Gonzalez, but Whitmer punched out Gonzalez, ending the threat. Vince Arobio come on for the ninth for Great Falls and got the first two he faced, but Egnatuk smashed the first pitch he saw from Arobio into the night sky for a walk off homer, the team's second of the year.
The Brewers hit the road for three games tomorrow in Billings, beginning with a 4:05 PM first pitch against the Mustangs. Wilfred Salaman makes the start for Helena, opposed by Luis Alecis for Billings. The Helena Brewers pregame show hits helenabrewers.net at 3:45 PM MT.
