S-K Steals A Win From The Indians Extra-Innings Base-Running Heroics Help Volcanoes Edge Spokane In 11

Jason Ellison is a student of the stolen base.

It’s something the Salem-Keizer center fielder has focused on doing more of this summer.

On Monday, he swiped second with the game on the line and his former Lewis-Clark State College teammate, Michael Natale, on the mound. It was Ellison’s fifth stolen base of the season and he followed that by scoring the game-winning run in the top of the 11th inning on Bryan Gann’s single to right as the Volcanoes defeated the Spokane Indians 4-3 in a Northwest League game before an Avista Stadium crowd of 3,479.

“It was a good situation,” said Ellison, a 22nd-round choice in the June amateur draft after helping LCSC to the NAIA championship. “It puts us in scoring position and you hope the guy behind you gets a hit. And look what happened, we ended up winning.”

For Spokane (18-16), it was another one-run loss. Half of the team’s losses have been decided by a run. The Indians are 9-8 in one-run games.

Yakima and Spokane came into Monday’s games tied for first place in the North Division, with Everett one game back. The AquaSox defeated Eugene 6-4 and Yakima lost 8-6 at home to Portland to move the teams into a three-way tie at 18-16.

The Indians had the winning run on second in the 10th with two outs after Aaron Melebeck stole second, but Abel Martinez grounded out two batters later to end the inning. Spokane tied the game at 3 in the eighth on back-to-back doubles by Billy Keppinger and Juan Guzman.

Keppinger had come in to pinch hit in the seventh and Guzman had entered at second base in the eighth. It was Guzman’s first double and the shot to left-center scored Keppinger to pull Spokane within 3-2. Guzman went to third on Marco Cunningham’s sacrifice bunt. Guzman scored the tying run on a fielder’s choice when shortstop Ed Maldonado made a wild throw to the plate and catcher Trey Lunsford couldn’t gain control.

The Volcanoes (14-20), who left 11 men on base to Spokane’s seven, had chances in regulation. They had the winning run on second with two outs in the ninth after Nick Wilfong doubled off the left-field wall but Bryan Carter grounded out to second to finish the inning.

Indians DH Ben Cordova smacked a solo home run over the wall in right-center with two outs in the seventh for the team’s first home run of the eight-game homestand and first since Chad Santos homered July 14 at Eugene. Cordova has four home runs and is second on the team behind Santos, who has eight.

Spokane starting pitcher Zach McClellan was hit in the left arm on Cunningham’s foul ball in the first that shot into the dugout. Fortunately for the Indians, McClellan is a right-hander. He gave up a lead-off triple in the first to Ellison and Ellison scored on a wild pitch for a 1-0 lead. It was Ellison’s first career triple.

Ellison had the only extra-base hit until Matt Keating’s seventh-inning double. The Volcanoes scored two in the seventh. Ellison, from Port Orchard, Wash., went 1 for 4 and scored three runs.

He said LCSC prepared him for pressure situations. “I’ve been there many times,” he said. “It’s exciting to try to rise to the occasion and try to make something happen. Going through that program prepares you to be a better ball player and gives you an opportunity to succeed.”

McClellan, a fifth-round choice in the June amateur draft who was making his fifth start, threw a five-hitter in four innings with three strikeouts and two walks.

Abel Martinez’s second-inning walk marked his 24th consecutive game reaching base since joining the team June 30. He added a single in the fourth.

Spokane hitting coach Jeff Davenport was ejected in the bottom of the third for arguing when Marco Cunningham was called out at second on a steal attempt. It was his first career ejection as a player or a coach.

Notes

Salem-Keizer is 4-16 in Spokane in four years, and in the past three years the Volcanoes have won the final game of the series on the final at-bat… . Today is the second of three off days all summer. The Indians begin a five-game series at Portland on Wednesday. They return home Monday for a three-game set with Everett.