The Pioneer Baseball League club in Missoula, Montana, once called the Osprey and now named the PaddleHeads (think moose), has a sixth-inning tradition called the “peanut inning.”

In the bottom of the sixth, the public address announcer urges cheer after cheer about peanuts — yes, call-and-response cheers about peanuts are as irritating as the imagination can fathom — because any Missoula hit or run results in the tossing of free bags of peanuts into the crowd.

It’s a well-timed gimmick, too, because if the opponent’s starting pitcher is coming back out for a sixth inning of work, they’re likely facing batters for a third-plus time — a scenario in the Pioneer League, especially, that tilts favor toward the batters.

Such has been the case for the Ogden Raptors in their first two nights in Missoula this week. A night after Riley Ottesen surrendered four runs in the sixth and was pulled without recording an out in the frame, Ronny Orta fell victim to the peanut inning in the same way Wednesday and the Paddleheads claimed a 9-6 win.

In a 3-3 game, Orta opened the sixth by giving up two singles and a walk that put Missoula up 4-3. Brandon McCabe took the mound and immediately surrendered a three-run homer (two of those runs charged to Orta) to catcher Nick Cicci that made it 7-3.

McCabe surrendered two more runs of his own and the Paddleheads (37-12, 2-0) pushed across six runs in the peanut inning, a 9-3 lead that was enough to claim the win.

Ogden (29-21, 0-2) led 3-2 through three innings on solo homers from Dakota Conners and Brandon Bohning, and a Reese Alexiades sacrifice fly to score Pat Adams.

Outfielder Brian Dansereau helped the Raptors cut the lead late with a two-run double in the seventh and another RBI double in the ninth. He hit 3 for 4. Adams hit 3 for 4 in the leadoff spot, scoring two runs, with usual leadoff man Josh Broughton getting the night off.

Jorge Gonzalez pitched a strong final two innings for Ogden, giving up one hit while striking out three and walking zero.

Cicci also doubled and drove in three for Missoula.

The two teams play the third of a six-game series at 7:05 p.m. Thursday.

WEDNESDAY SCORES

Missoula 9, Ogden 6

Rocky Mountain 16, Northern Colorado 14

Grand Junction 9, Boise 8

Great Falls 9, Billings 4

Glacier 15, Idaho Falls 8

PIONEER LEAGUE STANDINGS

Second Half

NORTH DIVISION

*Missoula 2-0 (37-12 overall)

Idaho Falls 1-1 (28-22)

Great Falls 1-1 (28-21)

Billings 1-1 (26-22)

Glacier 1-1 (18-31)

SOUTH DIVISION

Grand Junction 2-0 (28-22)

Northern Colorado 1-1 (18-29)

Rocky Mountain 1-1 (16-32)

*Ogden 0-2 (29-21)

Boise 0-2 (17-33)

*– denotes first-half champion

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