Will Robertson has big night, Vancouver Canadians edge Spokane Indians 10-9 in 11 innings

One game after erasing a large first-inning deficit to come back to victory, the Spokane Indians flipped the script.

Spokane led 7-0 after the first inning, but their visitors kept chipping away, tied it late and took the “W” in extra innings.

Will Robertson went 4 for 5 with four runs, three RBIs and his first home run of the season and the Vancouver Canadians edged the Spokane Indians 10-9 in 11 innings in the second of a six-game High-A West series at Avista Stadium on Wednesday.

The teams are tied for third in the league at 34-40.

In the 11th against Indians reliever Fineas Del Bonta-Smith (1-4), a fly out advanced Canadians’ free runner Rafael Lantigua to third. The next batter, DJ Neal, lofted a fly ball deep enough to right to allow Lantigua to scamper home with the go-ahead run.

Spokane went 1-2-3 in the bottom half against Vancouver reliever Cobi Johnson.

It looked like it might be an easy night as the Indians put up seven in the bottom of the first against C’s starter CJ Van Eyk. 

Isaac Collins led off with a single and scored on a throwing error. Later in the frame, Hunter Stovall and Case Harris drew consecutive walks to to force in a runs.

The big hit in the inning came by Javier Guevara, who lined a double to left to plate two.

Two more runs came across on a fielder’s choice and sacrifice fly.

Vancouver started chipping away in the second. Robertson delivered an RBI double and later scored on a single by Lantigua.

Lantigua added a three-run homer in the fourth to narrow the gap and an RBI single in the sixth. He finished 3 for 5 with four RBIs.

Vancouver completed the comeback in the top of the seventh on a double by Luis De Los Santos followed by an RBI single by Tanner Morris.

In the bottom half, Aaron Schunk was hit by a pitch, stole second and scored on a single by Stovall. Stovall swiped second, took third on a balk and came in on a sacrifice fly for a 9-7 lead.

The C’s came back again. Alex Moore hit Ryan Gold to lead off the top of the eighth and with one out Robertson smacked one out to center to tie it up.

With two down in the ninth and a runner at first, Collins made a diving catch in center to rob Gold of extra bases and keep it at 9-9.

Indians starter Will Ethridge went 5 1/3 innings. He allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks with two strikeouts. Moore gave up three runs on three hits and a walk over 2 1/3 innings.