Indians Edged In 10 Innings Hilo Pays Yakima Back With Interest With Game-Winning Hit In Opener

Johnny Hilo is what baseball people refer to as a “loaner.”

If the Yakima Bears had their way, Hilo would be a keeper.

Hilo’s sharp double down the right- field line drove in the winning run Thursday as the Bears inaugurated the Northwest League baseball season with a 4-3, 10-inning decision over the Spokane Indians.

The hit delighted a Yakima County Stadium crowd that had dwindled from 2,379 to less than 1,500 as the night grew windy and cool.

A week from now, Hilo will probably leave the short-season Class A NWL for San Bernardino of the Class A California League.

“I came here to give the outfielders time to get ready,” said the right fielder. “It’s kind of nice, actually, because I wasn’t playing that much (at San Bernardino).”

The Los Angeles Dodgers, parent team to the Bears, expect to send outfielder Judd Granzow to Yakima by the first of the week. Granzow was selected in the fourth round of the amateur draft.

Hilo hopes that a good week in Yakima will lead to more at-bats in California. San Bernardino just won its division’s first-half title.

“I started swinging the bat a little bit better before I came here,” Hilo said.

Hilo’s hit, which just evaded Spokane first baseman James Vida, scored Juan Sosa breaking from first.

The game-winner wiped out a strong offensive performance by Vida in his professional debut.

Vida, Spokane’s only left-handed hitter among position players besides switch-hitter Emiliano Escandon, went 3 for 5, scored once and drove in a run. His eighth-inning RBI single gave Spokane a 3-2 lead.

“It was a good day, but I’d rather win,” Vida said. “Sometimes it happens this way.”

Vida thought that Hilo’s 10th-inning hit was foul. The ball quickly scooted into the right-field corner, giving right fielder Leon Wethersby no shot at Sosa at home.

A pair of Yakima runs in the seventh tied the game and washed out a commanding performance by Spokane starter Modesto Villarreal.

Villarreal allowed one hit in five innings. He struck out four and walked one. The lone hit was Hilo’s infield dribbler in the fourth that shortstop Escandon knocked down.

Spokane staked Villarreal to a 2-0 lead in the fourth. Vida doubled sharply to drive in Escandon, who had walked, then scored on a two-out balk by Bears starter Ricky Stone.

Stone allowed just three hits in 6 2/3 innings and was off the hook when the Bears tied the game in the seventh against Matthew Saier on Brian Harmon’s two run single.

Indians center fielder Tony Miranda, who joined the team Wednesday after helping Cal State Fullerton to the College World Series title, led off the eighth with a wind-carried double off Mitch McNeely (1-0). Vida placed a one-out, run-scoring single to left.

Yakima scored the tying and winning runs on 1-2 counts. With two out in the ninth, Rafael Gross singled off Israel Charles then stole second when he missed a sign from the thirdbase coach. Juan Hernaiz followed with a bloop single to right.

Sosa blew a sacrifice attempt in the 10th but took first on the fielder’s choice. Spokane reliever Jose Santiago (0-1), who had entered to face Sosa, had Hilo down to the last strike before the winning hit.

, DataTimes