NABL

Storm at Moose (Played 07/04/2024)

Game 1
	Score	Pitcher		Score	Pitcher
Storm			Moose
The Missoula Moose host the Shenango Valley Storm for a four game set. The Storm are poised to compete for a NABL Championship this season. The Moose have low expectations but have come out of the gate surprisingly well and have started to seed some expectations, however unrealistic. The Moose sent their "A" lineup out for the month of June to see what could happen. Game 1 was a solidly pitched game. Starting pitchers, Yusei Kikuchi for the Storm and LT Allen for the Moose did their part for their respective clubs. The Moose started the scoring in the bottom of the 1st as AJ Friedl scored on a DP groundout by Encarncion-Strand to make it 1-0 Missoula. Missoula had loaded the bases with no outs so they left an opportunity on the table early. Good for Missoula that LT Allen was dealing. He held the Storm to just 2 hits in 6 shutout innings. Meanwhile, James Outman increased the Moose lead with a solo HR off new reliever Kevin Kelly in the home half of the 6th. Cody Bellinger finally got the Storm on the board in the 7th with a solo HR of his own. The Storm then tied the game off of Allen in the 8th as Bryson Stott doubled home Matt Vierling who had walked to tie the game at 2-2. But in the bottom of the 8th, Outman did it again with another solo HR to give the Moose a 3-2 lead that Allen wouldnt relinquish with a 1-2-3 top of the 9th. Moose win game 1 3-2.

Game 2
	Score	Pitcher		Score	Pitcher
Storm			Moose
Game 2 featured a lopsided pithing matchup of Zach Eflin for the Storm and "D" pitcher Carlos Rodon for the Moose. Like Allen in game 1, Rodon was great. The Storm bats continued to roll 65's over 66's with Rodon throwing 5 2-hit shutout innings to start the game. Meanwhile, the Moose offense got going in the 2nd with a 3-run outburst. After a leadoff walk to Outman, Jack Suwinski belted a 2-run HR to put the Moose up 2-0. They added another run after Maikel Garcia tripled and scored on a Rene Pinto Sac Fly. The score stayed 3-0 until the 6th when the Storm broke through on Rodon. Walks sandwiched around a strikeout to Stott and Adolis Garcia set the table for Xander Bogaerts' RBI single. Rodon got out of it without any further damage as the Moose clinged to a 3-1 lead. Rodon got some insurance though in the bottom half of the 6th. A two out and nobody on rally netted 2 key runs. Pinto started it with a solo HR. Volpe then walked and stole second only to be brought in by AJ Friedl's RBI single. The single was Friedl's 8th straight plate appearance to reach base to start the series. Up 5-1 the Moose began to show their warts. An error on Volpe opened the inning for the Storm. One out later, Travis Janikowski drove home the run with a double. Then another out later, Cody Bellinger officially made this a game with a 2-run HR to pull the Storm to within 5-4. But the Moose were not deterred as Suwinski belted his 2nd 2-run HR of the game in the bottom of the 7th to restore the 3 run lead at 7-4. To the 9th we go which is always a tough inning for the Moose pitching staff. This game was no different. Vierling opened with a single. In from the bullpen comes closer Jose Soriano and he does his best Mitch Williams imitation by hitting Stott to bring up the tying run in the Storm 3 and 4 hitters. Bellinger gets first shot and flys out to left. Garcia is next and he blisters a double that drives home both runners. Suddently it is 7-6 Moose with the tying run on second and two outs. Bogaerts up. Soriano strikes him out! Moose hang on for a 7-6 win thankful games are not longer than 9 innings.

Game 3
	Score	Pitcher		Score	Pitcher
Storm			Moose
Another starting pitching mismatch as Joe Musgrove faces off against another "D" Moose starter in Tanner "wait til next year" Houck. This time the results match the mismatch as the Storm continue to their bat awakening from late in game 2 by jumping all over Houck for a 3 spot in the 1st. Bogaerts delivered with two outs after failing the previous game in the 9th with a RBI single. JA Happ then doubled home him and Bellinger for the 3-0 lead. The Moose had one meaningful attempt to make this a game in the 2nd as Volpe tripled home M. Garcia to pull within 3-1. However, this game had a Storm coming for the Moose. Stott restored the 3 run lead with a solo HR in the 3rd. Then back to back solo HRs by A. Garcia and Bogaerts in the 5th pretty much ended things. Vierling delivered a RBI single in the 8th for the Storm to put them up 7-1. Outman got a 2-run double for the Moose in the 8th but that was as close they would get. Storm win it 7-3 out hitting the Moose 13-5.

Game 4
	Score	Pitcher		Score	Pitcher
Storm			Moose
Alex Cobb vs Johan Oviedo in the final game of the series. Both pitchers start strong and throw up some early zeros. Pinto quickly changes that in the bottom of the 3rd with a solo HR to put the Moose up 1-0. The Storm come right back in the top of the 4th though. Stott singles and steals second to open things. They then load the bases and Happ delivers a 2-run single to put the Storm up 2-1, although, they loaded the bases again in the inning and failed to add on. The Moose came right back in the bottom half of the 4th. Nolan Schanuel walked and Zack Gelof singled to start the inning. After a strikout, Outman, who was clutch all series, singled home Schanuel to tie the score. Suwinski then singled home Gelof and Outman to put the Moose up 4-2. The Storm took advantage of a Moose error to score an unearned run on an Adley Rutschman double. However, Vierling grounded into a double play to end the threat. The Moose then did bullpen by committee the rest of the way and wiggled out of two threatening innings to pull off the upset series win. Soriano got his 2nd save of the series. Some interesting notes on the series: Moose cleanup hitter Christian Encarncion-Strand went 0-16 with 8 strikeouts. Meanwhile Friedl reached base 10 of 18 plate appearances, although one was by FC. lol. Outman and Suwinski drove in 11 of the Moose's 17 runs in the series. The Storm were led by Bryson Stott who 5 for 15 and scored 4 times. Luck does play into a series where the underdog comes out on top. The Storm hit 5 HRs in the series and 4 of them were solo shots. The double play was another huge factor in the series with the Storm hitting into 7 during the four games.