Aidan Longwell blows it open with grand slam, Spokane Indians earn split with Eugene 9-6

After a couple of quiet days at the bat, the Spokane Indians broke out in a big way on Sunday.

Aidan Longwell busted open a tie game with a grand slam in the sixth inning and the Indians beat the Eugene Emeralds 9-6 to earn a split of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Sunday.

Indians leadoff hitter Jared Thomas went 3 for 3 with a homer, two walks, three runs and four RBIs.

Spokane (10-11) snapped a three-game slide against Eugene (11-10).

“Anytime we can get the bats rolling, score some runs, help our bullpen stay fresh, it’s a big thing,” Longwell said. “In this league there’s couple teams right there in the mix with everything, so to be able to get a win on Sunday and get a split is a big thing.”

The Indians loaded the bases in the bottom half on three consecutive two-out walks by Ems reliever Ryan Vanderhei – the seventh, eighth and ninth of the game by Emeralds pitchers. 

Eugene brought in righty Austin Strickland, and he was greeted rudely by Longwell, who clobbered a 2-0 pitch off the facing of the caboose beyond the right-center field wall for his second home run of the season.

“I was just looking for something to get in the air, hopefully get a couple runs,” Longwell said. “I got a good pitch to hit and got it out of the park.”

The Emeralds had trouble throwing strikes from the beginning – starting pitcher Josh Wolf walked leadoff batter Thomas on four pitches. Thomas stole second and went to third on a single by Braylen Wimmer, then with one down Wimmer stole second.

Skyler Messinger’s line drive died on the warning track, but it was enough to plate Thomas with the game’s first run. 

Wolf issued back-to-back walks to start the second inning. He struck out Tevin Tucker and Caleb Hobson but with two down Thomas hit a line drive homer to left to make it 4-0. 

It stayed that way until Indians starter Michael Prosecky got into hot water in the sixth. Jonah Cox reached on a throwing error by third baseman Messinger, Prosecky hit Charlie Szykowny and then walked Jack Payton to load the bases. 

That brought up Scott Bandura, whose hard-hit grounder got through the right side for a two-run single – and ended Prosecky’s appearance.

Alan Perdomo took over and got the first two outs of the inning, but Onil Perez lined a two-out two-RBI single to tie it at 4-4 and close the book on Prosecky.

But the Indians answered in the bottom half, added an insurance run in the eighth and secured the series split.

Prosecky gave up four runs, just one earned, on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts. He threw 88 pitches, 50 for strikes. Perdomo earned the win (1-0) with two shutout innings. 

Seven Eugene pitchers combined to allow seven hits and walk 10.