Locked in a tie game in the seventh inning, the Missoula PaddleHeads scored five unanswered runs down the stretch in an 8-3 win over the Billings Mustangs Friday night at Ogren-Allegiance Park.

Zootown's pro baseball team snapped a four-game losing streak in boosting its Pioneer League-best record to 61-33. The Mustangs fell to 45-49.

The score was knotted at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh when the PaddleHeads exploded for four runs. Roberto Pena ripped a two-run home run and Cam Thompson and Alec Sanchez each added an RBI single.

Missoula added an insurance run in the eighth, thrilling a crowd of over 2,300 fans. Billings failed to score in the final two frames.

Ace Dawson Day earned the win, allowing two runs on eight hits with nine strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. Mark Timmins, Noah McBride and Jimmy Loper pitched well in relief for the hosts, allowing just one run between them.

Missoula finished with 16 hits to 11 for Billings. Besides Pena, Carlos Perez also hit a home run for the PaddleHeads. Thompson, Sanchez and Adam Fogel shared game-high honors with three hits apiece for the PBL first-half champions.  

The PaddleHeads will finish up the regular season with home games Saturday night and Sunday afternoon against the Mustangs. Missoula will play Glacier in a best-of-3 PBL semifinal series starting Tuesday night in Kalispell.