A leadoff home run is the kind of thing that can really get a team fired up, and that is exactly what Dallas Carroll delivered for the Helena Brewers Monday night, as his leadoff homer was the catalyst in a six-run first that also saw Yerald Martinez hit a three-run homer as the Brewers defeated the Missoula Osprey, 9-5.  Payton Henry scored three runs in the game and Jayson Rose earned his first victory with 3.1 innings of outstanding relief.

After Missoula was kept off the scoreboard in the top of the first, Dallas Carroll led off the bottom half of the inning with his first homer of the season. The line drive shot over the left-center field wall gave Helena the one-run lead. Osprey starter Franklyn Soriano would then retire the next two batters, but the third proved to be quite elusive. Payton Henry lined a single into left field to keep the inning going before Zach Clark drew a walk. That brought Yerald Martinez to the plate, who drilled his third home run of the season deep over the center field wall to extend the lead to four. Franly Mallen reached on an error and moved to second when Nic Pierre grounded a single back up the middle. Soriano was taken out of the game and Williams Durruthy relieved. Antonio Pinero greeted him with a double down the line in right field that scored both Mallen and Pierre to make it 6-0. The Helena Brewers sent 11-men to the plate in the inning, giving their starter a commanding lead.

In the bottom of the second, Helena will extend their lead to seven. Henry and Clark drew back-to-back walks with one out. Two batters later, Mallen delivered a two-out single that looped into center field to score Henry.

Harold Chirino started for Helena and he kept the Osprey off the board for three innings. However, in the fourth Missoula would finally score. With one down, Juan Araujo hit his third home run of the season to make it 7-1.

The Brewers responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth. After Henry walked, one of three on the day, Clark singled. Henry raced for third, beating the throw with Clark moving into second. Martinez and Mallen both struck out, but Pierre beat out a ground ball for a base hit to extend the lead back to seven.

But Sula responded with two runs of their own in the top of the fifth. Chirino retired the first two batters of the inning, but José Caballero singled to keep the inning alive. Chirino had reached his pitch count, and the Brewers brought in Jayson Rose. He was greeted by a two-run homer by Joey Rose that cut the deficit to five.

Helena got one of those runs back in the bottom of the eighth. KJ Harrison started off the inning with a double, and scored when Henry lined a single into center field.

Missoula would make one last effort to try to get back into this game. In the top of the ninth, Juan Diaz struck out the first two batters of the inning, but William Gorman singled to keep the game going, before Eduardo Diaz tripled into center field to score Gorman. José Caballero followed with a double that brought home Diaz and the Osprey were within four. Rose then drew a walk, putting the tying run on deck. That brought a call to Brandon Teixeira who struck out Luis Lara to end the game for his first save in the season.

Jayson Rose (1-1) earned the victory, going 3.1-innings, allowing a hit, walk, and a run, while striking out 4. Payton Henry finished the day 2-2, with 3-runs scored, an RBI, and 3-walks. KJ Harrison was 2-5 with a run and 2-RBI in his first game for the Helena Brewers. The Missoula offense was led by Joey Rose, who was 1-4 with a run and 2-RBI.

The Brewers are off on Tuesday before beginning a seven-game road trip.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier