Double Pleasure For Indians Cunningham’S Hit Sparks Comeback

Marco Cunningham’s double was all the Spokane Indians needed on Thursday to rid themselves of the Great Disappearing Offense.

A 10th-inning error by Eugene first baseman Jeff Felker was the deciding play in Spokane’s 7-6 comeback win, but Cunningham’s ninth-inning double made everything else possible.

Cunningham, the Indians’ center fielder, came to bat with one out in the ninth and Eugene prepared to finish off a 6-4 win at Avista Stadium.

The previous 22 Indians batters had failed to collect a hit, a reminder of Wednesday’s game in which Spokane had just two hits but nevertheless won 2-1.

Cunningham had struck out in the first and fourth innings on sliders, so his eyes grew large when closer Eric Albright served up a 1-0 fastball.

“I just knew someone needed to come through,” Cunningham said. “And any baseball player wants to be in that position.”

Ray Hattenburg followed with a sharp, run-scoring single to right on a 3-2 pitch.

Albright, 13 for 13 on save attempts at Division III Chapman University this season, nearly escaped with his first professional save. But first baseman Felker was handcuffed on a Chad Santos grounder that was ruled a hit, then Justin Cowan drove in Hattenburg from third with a sacrifice fly to center.

“We were hitting the ball hard all night,” Cunningham said. “You can tell by the karma sometimes that something’s going to happen.”

For Santos, the seeing-eye single was the ninth consecutive time he had reached base. The Northwest League record book doesn’t list a leader in that category.

Yoon-Min Kweon led off Eugene’s 10th with a single to right off fifth Indians pitcher Michael Natale (1-0). Pinch runner Peter Graham took third on a bunt and groundout, bringing up No. 9 hitter Dionnar Martinez.

Martinez attempted a tiebreaking squeeze play, but catcher Cowan quickly fielded the bunt to record the inning-ending out at first.

“That bunt really caught me off-guard,” said Natale, who pitched for the NAIA World Series champion Lewis-Clark State Warriors. “As soon as he put it down I knew we’d get him, because that’s the play we’ve been practicing all week.”

Henrry Alvarez opened Spokane’s ninth with a nubber that died in front of third baseman Brandon Sing. Alvarez moved to third on a passed ball and groundout, then Billy Keppinger, 0 for 11 this season, struck out for the second out.

Leadoff hitter Darren Fenster grounded to Felker, who couldn’t glove the ball while moving toward first. It was the only error of the game.

“We’ve played three solid defensive games (with just three errors), and that’s what will win it for us,” Cunningham said.

Spokane trailed 5-0 in the second after Eugene tagged starter Brad Stiles for five hits and five walks. The Indians cut into the lead with Alvarez’s RBI single in the second and a three-run third that ended with the bases loaded.

After that, relievers and defense sped up a game that had slogged along at a 4-hour pace. Spokane’s Brannon Baranowski struck out four in 2-1/3 scoreless innings, and Ryan Bukvich and Natale added two scoreless innings.

Eugene center fielder Michael Mallory had an RBI double in the second and a two-out, RBI single in the sixth for the 6-4 lead. Mallory also made a spectacular catch on Hattenburg’s long fly in the seventh, a back-to-the plate play.

Tonight’s fourth game of the five-game series will feature two highly regarded right-handers, Zach McClellan of Spokane and Todd Wellemeyer of Eugene. In this year’s amateur draft, Wellemeyer was selected in the fourth round out of Bellarmine (Ky.) College, and McClellan, of Indiana, went in the fifth round.

Notes

Less than 800 tickets are available for tonight’s game, the first 50-cent feast night of the year. Hot dogs, ice cream sandwiches and Pepsi will cost 50 cents apiece… . The Indians added to their roster right-handed pitcher Mark Newell, a non-drafted free agent from Oregon State. That gives Spokane 16 pitchers.