Bullpen, Bats Lead C's To Series Win
SPOKANE, WA – Trailing 4-0 to start the second inning, the Canadians turned in a tenacious effort from five relievers and never quit at the plate to come back and beat the Spokane Indians [COL] 9-4 at Avista Stadium Sunday afternoon. It gave the C’s their fourth win in six
SPOKANE, WA – Trailing 4-0 to start the second inning, the Canadians turned in a tenacious effort from five relievers and never quit at the plate to come back and beat the Spokane Indians [COL] 9-4 at Avista Stadium Sunday afternoon. It gave the C’s their fourth win in six days and their first series victory over the Indians this year.
Spokane raced out to an early lead. They used four hit, two walks and a fielder’s choice to plate four and lead 4-0 after one inning.
The C’s wasted no time spoiling the shutout. With big leaguer Antonio Senzatela on the mound making a rehab start, Jackson Hornung crushed a one-out solo homer the opposite way in the top of the second to make it 4-1.
A five-run third put Vancouver in front good. A one-out walk for Adrian Pinto bounced Senzatela from the game, then Jace Bohrofen singled to put runners at the corners. A fielder’s choice followed and scored a run to make it 4-2 before Cutter Coffey walked. With two on and two outs, Je’Von Ward singled home another score then a wild pitch brought in the tying tally.
Tied 4-4, newcomer Alex Stone – in just his second-ever at-bat as a professional – lofted a soft fly into shallow centre that bounced in and out of the glove of the sliding centrefielder and safely to the grass below for a go-ahead two-RBI single. His first pro hit made it 6-4 Vancouver.
Alex Amalfi (W, 2-1) was pressed into duty after four runs had scored in the first and turned in a great showing. The Ashland, MA native went 3.1 innings, didn’t allow a run, gave up one hit, walked one and K’ed two. He was followed by a parade of arms, all of whom held Spokane scoreless: Irv Carter (two innings), Geison Urbaez, Grayson Thurman and Kai Peterson (all one inning apiece). The Indians only mustered four baserunners from the second through the final out.
Two runs in the eighth and another in the ninth put the game away. A Ward walk with one out in the eighth inning set the table for Hornung’s second extra base hit of the game, an RBI double that made it 7-4. Stone cashed in his first career double in the next at-bat to drive home his third RBI of the day. Pinto doubled in the ninth and Bohrofen singled him home to put the C’s ahead 9-4.
Hornung paced the offence by reaching three times with his double, homer and a walk. He scored three of the nine runs for the C’s and drove in two more. Bohrofen extended his hitting streak to a career-high 11 games and Ward has a knock in eight straight.
After an off-day Monday, the C’s are back at The Nat Tuesday night to host the Everett AquaSox [SEA] for six crucial games as they try and lock up a playoff position. First pitch is set for 7:05 p.m. Get tickets at CanadiansBaseball.com.