Emeralds Cool Off Indians

Randy Hodges brought Spokane’s three-game Northwest League winning streak to an abrupt end Monday night, doubling home Brian Rust in the last of the ninth inning to give the Eugene Emeralds a 4-3 victory.

Hodges’ drive into the left-field corner, with one out, allowed the Ems to salvage the final game of a five-game series. Spokane won the series, three games to two.

Hoping to bring its record to the .500 mark for the first time this season, the Indians (5-7) had tied the game with two runs in the eighth inning.

Both teams have an open date tonight.

The Indians open their next series against Southern Oregon in Medford on Wednesday night.

Hodges, who finished with three hits, pinned the second loss of the series on Spokane’s Daniel Soto.

With one out in the ninth, Rust blooped a single into right field, setting the stage for Hodges’ second double.

Eugene opened the scoring with two runs in the third inning. Hodges started that outburst with a single. Indians starter Hal Hodge picked Hodges off, but he reached second on Spokane first baseman James Vida’s wild throw.

A bunt single, a stolen base and a single by Glenn Williams produced the runs.

Spokane tallied a single run in the fifth. Randy Paulin opened the inning with single, took third on Leon Weathersby’s double and scored when Joel Nation grounded out.

Cleanup hitter Steve Hacker made it 3-1 for Eugene with a solo home run in the sixth.

In Spokane’s eighth, singles by Emiliano Escandon and Adam Finnieston set the stage for hot-hitting Vida, who lashed his second single to bring in Escandon. Finnieston scored when right-fielder Sherton Saturnino misplayed the ball.