Three Homers Not Enough In 9-7 Loss

MISSOULA, MT - The Helena Brewers (15-22) jumped out to a 5-0 lead but saw the Missoula Osprey (18-19) score seven unanswered runs in a 9-7 loss on Friday night at Ogren Park Allegiance Field.
The scoring started in the second for Helena. Chad McClanahan before a pair of singles from Jay Feliciano and Jose Gomez, bringing in a run to make it 1-0 Helena. Antonio Pinero sacrificed the runners into scoring position and Dallas Carroll drove in one of them with a single to left, giving the Brewers a 2-0 lead. Gabriel Garcia singled in Carroll before KJ Harrison blasted his first professional home run, extending the lead to 5-0.
Missoula got a run back in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Jose Callabero, his second of the season. The Osprey pulled even in the third when starter Harold Chirino issued a pair of two-out walks, loading the bases for Caballero, who doubled in two runner to make it 5-3. In the next at-bat, Brandon Leyton singled to right, driving in another two runners to tie the game 5-5.
In the fourth, the Osprey took the lead on a lead off home run by Eduardo Diaz, his fourth of the season, giving Missoula their first lead 6-5. Joey Rose doubled and came in to score on a single by catcher Andy Yerzy, pushing the Osprey to a 7-5 lead.
Carroll, the reigning Pioneer League Player of the Week, infused some life into the Brewers offense in the sixth when he crushed his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot, to pull Helena within one run at 7-6.
Unfortunately, the Osprey added two more runs in the seventh inning without the aid of a hit. Leyton reached on an error by Pinero to start the frame and moved around the bases on a walk to Gabriel Maciel and two wild pitches. Maciel came in to score on a wild pitch from Parker Bean, extending the Osprey lead to 9-6.
Jay Feliciano tried to start the comeback in the eighth with his team-high sixth home run of the year, a solo home run, to cut it to a 9-7 Missoula lead.
The Brewers put the tying man on in the ninth but were unable to bring him home. Carroll started the inning with a double off the left field wall, and advance to third on a wild pitch. With two outs, Harrison reached on a walk, representing the tying run. The Osprey brought in their closer Abraham Almonte, who retired the two batters he faced to secure his sixth save of the season.
Helena wraps up the first half of the season on Saturday night against the Osprey at 7:15 PM. The Brewers send All-Star RHP Nelson Hernandez (5-0, 4.38) to the mound against Osprey RHP Kai-Wei Lin (0-4, 6.75). The game can be heard locally on KCAP 95.9 FM/AM 950, TuneIn Radio and on the MiLB First Pitch App.