A night after leading the Great Falls Voyagers with 3-hits in a 5-1 11-inning victory, Luis Curbelo rapped out 3 more hits, scored 3-runs and hit his first home run of the season as the Voyagers pounded the Helena Brewers, 13-1. While his team was putting up 13-hits, Luis Ledo allowed just a run while striking out 6 in earning his first win of the season.

Harold Chirino started for Helena, and both starters looked great through the first three frames. Great Falls was able to load the bases on a single and two walks in the first, but Chirino struck out Craig Dedelow to end the threat. Meanwhile, the Brewers had just two-hits through the first three frames as Ledo was cruising.

Chirino had looked great early on, but the wheels came off in the fourth. With one down, Justin Yurchak walked and scored when Nate Nolan grounded a double down the line in left to make it 1-0. Tate Blackman then drew a walk and a wild pitch moved Yurchak to third. A ground out put Tyler Frost at first, but also brought Yurchak home. Two runs were in, but there were two outs. Yet, the third out proved to be elusive. Luis Curbelo and Luis Gonzalez drew back-to-back walks to load the bases and that would be it for Chirino.

Juan Diaz came in and his pitch to Anthony Villa was misplayed by the catcher for a passed ball, scoring Frost to make the score 3-0. A double by Villa brought home both runners to extend the lead to five, and he came home on a single by Franklin Reyes to make it 6-0.

Helena seemed to have no answers for Ledo as he retired eight in a row at one point and allowed just two hits through the first five-innings. However, in the sixth, Helena finally got on the board. Nick Roscetti led off the inning by drilling a home run over the left-center field wall to make it 6-1. Luis Ledo (1-0) left after 6-innings. He allowed just 3-hits and a run, while striking out 6. Of his 76 pitches, 46 went for strikes.

Great Falls responded by getting the run back in the top of the seventh. Dedelow singled to begin the frame and Yurchak followed with a walk. Nate Nolan singled to load the bases, and Dedelow came home on a sacrifice fly by Blackman.

In the eighth, the Great Falls Voyagers put this game away. Curbelo singled to begin the inning against Karsen Lindell and Villa reached on a hit by pitch two batters later. With runners at first and second and one down, Reyes lined a double into left field that scored Curbelo to extend the lead to seven. A sacrifice fly by Dedelow brought Villa home to make it 9-1.

In complete command, Great Falls added four more runs in the ninth. Blackman walked to start the inning, and came home when Curbelo crushed his first home run of the season. Back-to-back walks to Gonzalez and Felix Mercedes followed before Reyes singled to load the bases. A double by Dedelow brought the final two runs home in the 13-1 victory.

Luis Curbelo finished the evening 3-5 with 3-runs and 2-RBI. Franklin Reyes also had 3-hits and drove in 2. Craig Dedelow drove in 3 and scored a run. Nick Rosetti led the Helena offense, going 2-3 with a run, a homerun, and an RBI.

These two teams travel to Great Falls to open a two-game set. Nelson Hernandez will start for Helena. He will be opposed by Brandon Agar. First pitch is scheduled for 7:00.

Boxscore

By Robert Pannier