MISSOULA — One that counted, and one that really counted. 

Glacier’s Kingston Liniak hit a two-run home run in the third inning, then launched one homer in the so-called Knockout Round as the Range Riders defeated Missoula 6-5 in Pioneer League baseball Wednesday. 

Liniak and the PaddleHeads’ Roberta Pena had to decide things with the score tied at 5-5 after nine innings. Liniak hit only one but Pena, the leading home run hitter in the PBL with six in eight games, could not reach the fence in his five allotted swings. 

Missoula led 3-0 early on Adam Fogel’s home run with two on in the first inning; Glacier got two, 2-run homers in the third — from JD McLaughlin and Liniak — to lead 4-3.  

John Mabry’s RBI single in the fifth made it 5-3 Glacier and chased former Range Riders pitcher Dawson Day, who started on the bump for Missoula. Day allowed seven hits, three walks and four earned runs in 4 1-3 innings. 

The lead lasted until the eighth, when Pena reached on an error by third baseman Efran Manzo, stole second and came around on a passed ball and wild pitch. 

Glacier stranded two runners in the ninth inning, but Liniak — whose third-inning home run was his 30th as a Range Rider, one from the top of the team’s career list — came up big again. 

Starting pitcher Ty Bothwell threw six innings for the Riers, allowing six hits, one walk and four earned runs. He fanned six. Jason Franks allowed one unearned run in his two innings; Nick Zegna threw a scoreless ninth.  

McLaughlin had three hits and Efrain Manzo two for Glacier (6-2). 

The teams continued their six-game series Thursday night. The game had not ended at press time. 

Glacier    004    010    000    –    5    12    3 

Missoula    300    001    010    –    5    8    1 

Glacier wins Knockout Round, 1-0.  

Ty Bothwell, Jason Franks (7), Nick Zegna (9) and Angel Mendoza. Dawson Day, Cale Mathison (5), Zac Lampton (7), Andrew Armstrong (8), Arman Sabouri (9) and Nich Klemp. 

GLACIER RANGE RIDERS — JD McLaughlin 3-5, Xavier Casserilla 2-5, TJ Clarkson 0-5, Kingston Liniak 1-5, Kenneth Levari 1-5, Efraine Manzo 2-3, Logan Beard 1-2, Johon Mabry 1-5, Angel Mendoza 1-4. 

MISSOULA PADDLHEADS — Colby Wilkerson 1-5, Roberta Pena 1-4, Mike Rosario 0-4, Adam Fogel 2-3, Alec Sanchez 2-4, Nich Klemp 0-4, McGwire Holbrook 1-3, Carlos Perez 0-3, Kamron Willman 1-4.  

2B — Levari, Mendoza, Fogel, Sanchez. HR — McLaughlin (1), Liniak (2), Fogel. RBIs — McLaughlin 2, Liniak 2, Mabry, Fogel 3, Sanchez.