Spokane Indians pounded by last-place Hillsboro in series finale 14-6 | NWL baseball
Aug. 23—It’s hard to win a baseball game when you can’t get the other team out.
Kenny Castillo hit two of Hillsboro’s four home runs, Carlos Virahonda added a grand slam and the Hops pounded the Spokane Indians 14-6 in the finale of a Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Sunday.
The Indians fell to 25-28, 41/2 games behind second-place Vancouver for the league’s second-half playoff spot with 12 games to play. The Indians start a six-game series with the Canadians at Nat Bailey Stadium on Tuesday at 7:05 p.m.
Hillsboro batted around twice — in the first and seventh innings as they put up six and five runs respectively in those frames. Castillo finished 3-for-4 with a triple and five RBIs.
The last-place Hops (24-30) scored 54 runs in six games this week to take four of six in the series.
After overcoming an eight-run deficit and scoring 15 runs on Saturday, the Hops went right back to it on Sunday. The first three batters of the game reached on a pair of singles and a walk, then Chris Katz — in his second professional game — laced an RBI single to left to plate the game’s first run.
Yassel Soler followed with an RBI single through the hole on the left side, and a fly out made it 3-0.
That brought up Castillo, who hit a laser over the wall in left center for his seventh homer of the season and a 6-0 lead.
Robert Calaz finally got the Indians on the board in the bottom of the second with a solo home run, his ninth of the season and fifth in his last eight games. Calaz went 12-for-25 (.480) over the span.
Hillsboro got that one back in the third, though, on Castillo’s second long ball of the game.
The Indians loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth inning. With one down, Wilder Dalis served a two-strike pitch into right for an RBI single, then Ethan Hedges drew a walk to force in a run to make it 9-3. That brought Hillsboro manager Mark Reed out with the hook.
Lefty reliever Rocco Reid entered and got Tanner Thach to roll into a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning.
The Indians rallied against Reid in the sixth. Calaz drew a walk then Lorenzo Carrier doubled to the left center gap. Jacob Hinderleider followed with a line that hit Reid that went as an RBI single and put runners at the corners with no outs.
Reid was evaluated and tried to throw, but was lifted in favor of another lefty, Nate Savino.
Juan Castillo’s liner to center was enough to plate Carrier without a throw to make it 9-5. But the rally stalled when Hidalgo struck out and Brito popped out to end the inning.
Any chance of a comeback ended in the seventh when Virahonda’s long fly ball barely got over the wall in left field for a grand slam — his eighth home of the season — and a 13-5 lead. Kayson Cunningham followed with a solo homer, his fourth, and the rout was on.
