Hillsboro Hops jump out to early lead in 6-4 win over Spokane Indians
The visiting Hillsboro Hops took control with a four-run first inning and withstood a couple of surges from the Spokane Indians, who threatened to rally late but fell 6-4 on Friday evening in a Northwest League game at Avista Stadium.
The Indians ( 23-11 second half) seemed buried after the seventh inning, trailing 6-2. Their lineup had managed one baserunner and struck out six times between the fifth and seventh innings, but Spokane found life in the eighth.
EJ Andrews Jr. drew a walk to open the inning, and designated hitter Cole Carrigg followed with a clutch at-bat, belting a homer over the right-field wall to trim the deficit to two.
But Hillsboro ( 16-18) mitigated the damage, escaping a two-on, no-out jam with a double play and a flyout.
Spokane put one baserunner on in the ninth, but that was it. The Indians stumbled to their third straight loss and fell to 1-3 in the six-game series with Hillsboro.
Spokane starter Connor Staine (4-5) allowed back-to-back walks to open the game. The Hops capitalized on a fielding error in center field to score their first run, then Hillsboro slugger Jack Hurley had an RBI double, his 24th double of the season. The Hops scored two more runs on another Spokane fielding error, this one in the infield.
Staine faced every batter in the Hops lineup during his 35-pitch first inning, but the 23-year-old right-hander settled in. He allowed two baserunners over the next three innings, and Spokane’s offense stirred in the fourth.
Kyle Karros led off the inning with his NWL-leading 13th homer of the year. The Spokane third baseman crushed the first pitch he saw to left-center field. Two batters later, catcher Bryant Betancourt lifted a solo shot to right field for his 11th homer of the year.
Hurley answered for the Hops in the top of the fifth with a two-out, two-run homer. Staine walked the next batter and was pulled from the game. Over 4⅔ innings, Staine gave up four earned runs on five hits, with four walks and three strikeouts.
Mason Green, usually a starter for Spokane, pitched the next four innings. He ceded six hits and struck out two. Green was replaced after surrendering back-to-back singles with two outs in the top of the ninth.
Hops starter Roman Angelo (4-4) shined over seven innings and earned a win for the third time in his past three games. The righty struck out 10 and didn’t walk a batter. He allowed two earned runs on six hits and finished with 108 pitches.
The Indians totaled nine hits and struck out 11 times. Karros finished 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI, boosting his league-leading RBI total to 66. Carrigg was 2 for 4 with two RBIs and his 10th homer of the season, and first baseman Jose Cordova went 2 for 4.
Hurley was 3 for 5 and recorded three RBIs for the Hops, who had 11 hits.
The teams meet again at 6:35 p.m. Saturday.