HELENA, MT - Down three runs in the eighth inning of a scheduled seven inning game, the Helena Brewers rallied for four runs to win the first game of a scheduled double header 9-8 against the Great Falls Voyagers. Jean Carmona blasted a three run home run to tie the
HELENA, MT - Down three runs in the eighth inning of a scheduled seven inning game, the Helena Brewers rallied for four runs to win the first game of a scheduled double header 9-8 against the Great Falls Voyagers. Jean Carmona blasted a three run home run to tie the game, and two batters later Jose Sibrian uncorked a laser beam to left center to give Helena its first win of the season in walk off fashion.
Great Falls raced out to a four run lead after their first two turns at the plate, but the Brewers struck for two in the second and two in the third to tie the game at four. Pablo Abreu had a sacrifice fly in the second, and Nick Egnatuk's two out two run home run tied the game.
Starter Justin Bullock last just two innings, but Jenri Montas came on in relief and pitched three scoreless frames. Montas was in line for the win after the fifth, as Chad McClanahan's two out RBI single brought home the go ahead run, staking Helena to a 5-4 lead. The lead was short lived, as with two on and two out in the top of the sixth, Jimmy Galusky singled against Kody Rock to bring home a run and tie the game.
Neither team scored in the seventh inning, and thus the game went to extra innings. New to Minor League Baseball in 2018 is the extra inning tie breaker rule, in which a runner starts each half inning at second base. Lenyn Sosa put a bunt down to move Nunez, the placed runner, to third. He beat the throw to first, and after a pop out, Gunnar Troutwine singled home Nunez, ending the day for Rock. Austin Rubick (W,1-0) entered for Helena, getting a pop out, but then walked Galusky to load the bases for Friday night's hero Ian Dawkins, who singled home two, to make it 8-5 Voyagers.
Drew Weston (L, 0-1) came on to lock down the save, but walked leadoff hitter Chad McClanahan to out the tying run at the plate. Carmona stepped in with one out, and with one swing sent a moonshot down the left field line for his first home run of the season, knotting the game at eight. Two batters later, Sibrian unloaded on an inside pitch for his first Pioneer League homer, giving the Brewers their first victory of the season.
