Spokane ambushed Hillsboro leading them to believe that this was a baseball game instead of a blitzkrieg.  Ten batters, four runs and four hits in the second inning alone was enough for the win.  But, Spokane had more octane in the gas tank as the Spokane Indians clobbered the Hillsboro Hops, 11-3.

Spokane Starter Will Etheridge Doesn’t Let Hops Get Started

The runs were bad enough but to contrast that to the suffocating pitching of the Indians starter Will Etheridge (W, 2-5) and the Hops didn’t stand a chance.  Add his fellow flame throwers Fineas Del Bonte-Smith, Boby Johnson and Derrik Watson and the Hops batters rarely were allowed to come up for air.

The mound might be the source of the biggest contrast.  The Hops went through six pitchers in the game.  The only pitcher to not allow a run was Liu Fuenmayor.  But, by then, the score was already 9-1.  Too little too late.  Collin Sullivan (L, 0-1) made his debut for the Hops and started the ball rolling.  After Sullivan, chased from the mound in the second inning, Gerald Ogando and Bobby Ay tried their best in relief.  They at least limited the Indians to one run each.  Yaramil Hiraldo closed the eighth but not before Spokane scored two more runs.

One bright spot for the visitors came in the eighth when Andy Yerzy hit his fourth home run in three days, including two last night.  Recently promoted power hitter Eduardo Diaz left a power vacuum when he left last week for AA Amarillo.  Perfect timing for Andy to take his place.  Diaz left with 14 home runs leading the Hops.  Andy was one of the closest behind with only nine.  Include the last three games played and you now have Andy with 13 home runs, just one behind Eduardo.  Yerzy will soon have the top slot.

Spokane Brings in Artillery

However, most of the power tonight was in the hands of the Indians.  Four doubles, a triple and ten singles led the scoring surge.  In the second inning alone, with one out, seven consecutive Spokane batters reached base safely.  The procession went: double, single, double, double, walk, single, single.  The biggest surprise was that Spokane only scored six runs that inning.

Jack Blomgren and Austin Bernard both had three hits on the night, going 3 for 5.  While those two hit .600 for the evening, the whole team hit .416 getting at least one hit in every inning.  Three different players: Blomgren, Brenton Doyle and Daniel Montano scored twice to account for over half of their runs.  Even though Cade Harris had only one hit, that hit turned out to be a two-run double.  Add his sac fly in the third for a total of three and you have the only Spokane player to have more than one RBI.

Andy Yerzy Fourth Home Run in Three Games

In the other dugout, you did have seven players with at least one hit.  However, only one Hops had more than one.  That was newcomer Elijah Greene who went 2 for 4.  The biggest reason was the Indians starting pitcher Etheridge.  In his seven innings starting the game, the Hops didn’t get their first hit until the fifth inning.  Then, they got four of them to score two runs and get on the board.  All singles.  The only extra base hit tonight for Hillsboro is Yerzy’s home run in the eighth.

Standings

The win helped the Spokane Indians (48-44) stay six games behind second place Eugene.  Since first place Everett lost tonight, Spokane draws within seven games of the top.  Also, the Emeralds are just one game from joining the Aquasox on top.

The loss continues the Hillsboro Hops (42-50) losing streak to five games.  They not only dropped to six games behind Spokane (13 games behind Everett) but Vancouver has now drawn up to a fourth place tie with the Hops.

Both teams will meet again Saturday night for game#4 at 6:30 PM.  Spokane currently leads the series 3-0.  A doubleheader is scheduled for Sunday to make up for the rain out last Tuesday.  The make-up game will follow the first game of the double header that starts at 1:05 PM.

Box Score

By

Greg Stoker

@GDStoker