Spokane Scores Three in Ninth to Beat Hops

SPOKANE, WASH. --- The Spokane Indians turned the tables on the Hops on Saturday night at AvistaStadium. Twenty-four hours after allowing the Hops to score three in the top of the ninth to win by one, Spokane put together a three-run ninth of their own to walk off with a 10-9 win in the third game of the five-game series.
Hops closer Erbert Gonzalez (his first name is pronounced "El-bear") had been five-for-five in save opportunities entering the game, and he entered in the ninth to protect a 9-7 lead. But a one-out single by light-hitting shortstop Jonah McReynolds --- 3-for-33 this season entering the at-bat --- sparked the rally.
Leadoff man Miguel Aparicio grounded a base hit through the hole on the right side, and Chad Smith singled to left-center to cut the deficit to 9-8. Smith then stole second, and catcher Daulton Varsho's throw bounced, exploding off second baseman Connor Owings. Aparicio scored the tying run on the Varshoerror.

Tyler Ratliff grounded to short to send the winning run to third base with two out. After a hit batsman, Clay Middleton singled to right field to bring home Smith with the winning run.
The loss drops the Hops (13-11) back into a first-place tie in the South Division with 14 games remaining in the first-half race. Spokane (9-15) is seven games out in the North.
Hillsboro scored twice in the first inning, highlighted by a double from Drew Ellis.
Spokane came back in the bottom of the first, as Ratliff hooked a long drive inside the left field foul pole off Hops starter Mitch Aker. The two-run shot tied the game, 2-2.
It had the early makings of another rout for the Hops. Hillsboro scored five times in the top of the second, including a two-run home run by Bryan Araiza off the roof of the antique rail car in right field. But the Indians chipped away. Melvin Novoa  hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second, and they scored another off Aker in the fourth. When Aparicio led off the fifth with a base hit, Aker was gone.
The Hops bullpen entered the game with an ERA below 1.80, but this was not to be their night. Luis Castillo, the pitcher who replaced Aker, allowed a single to Smith. Two batters later, Spokane first baseman Andretty Cordero belted a two-run shot to tie the game, 7-7.
Hillsboro came right back in the top of the sixth and scored the go-ahead run on a two-out base hit by Eudy Ramos. It was 8-7 Hops.
Right-hander Brian Shaffer, the Arizona Diamondbacks' sixth-round pick this year out of the University of Maryland, worked a perfect sixth inning on just seven pitches. Anfernee Benitez and Rafael Pujols then combined for two scoreless frames.
And when the Hops added an insurance run on a two-out single by Varsho to make it 9-7 in the top of the ninth --- with Gonzalez warming in the pen --- they had the game in their grasp.
But the Indians scored their three runs in the bottom of the ninth, to the delight of the crowd of 5,704.
Araiza had a double to go along with his home run, and Drew Ellis went 3-for-4 with a walk to lead Hillsboro's 16-hit attack. However, it was not a good baserunning night for the Hops, as three players made mistakes on the base paths and were tagged out.
Sunday's radio broadcast is on a different station than normal --- 103.7 FM (and, as always, online at HillsboroHops.com). The pregame show begins at 3:00.
After the series finale on Monday night, the Hops have Tuesday off, then return home to face Eugene in a South Division showdown beginning Wednesday --- the Hops' final three in-division games of the first half.