Thon’s fielding gem helps Indians hold off Volcanoes

KEIZER, Ore. – Right place, right time.

First baseman Freddie Thon completed an unassisted, game-ending double play to preserve the Spokane Indians’ 6-5 Northwest League victory over the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes on Sunday night.

Michael Mooney reached via error to lead off the Volcanoes’ ninth inning. A strikeout later, Thon was holding Mooney on first base. When Jon Wilson delivered a pitch to Mark Minicozzi, both Mooney and Thon broke from first base. Minicozzi scorched a line drive right down the first base line. Thon dove to his left, caught the line drive, and landed on first base with his glove to double off Mooney and end the game.

Spokane maintained its one-game lead in the East Division over Tri-City, a 4-0 victor over Everett at Pasco.

Terry Blunt was 3 for 3 for Spokane and homered to right field to lead off the game and give Spokane a quick 1-0 lead. After a pair of strikeouts, Lizahio Baez also homered to right to make it 2-0.

Spokane made it 5-0 in the second inning. Taylor Teagarden scored on a bases-loaded wild pitch before German Duran followed with a two-run double.

The Volcanoes would answer with four runs in the bottom of the second.

Andy Busch stroked a two-run single to center field to score Pablo Sandoval and D.J. Dixon. Chris Stanton scored on a groundout by Benj Copeland. Busch would score on Minicozzi’s single.

Blunt doubled to score Teagarden with Spokane’s final run in the sixth inning.

Sandoval’s sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh for Salem-Keizer completed the scoring.

Thomas Van Buskirk (2-1) pitched 2 1/3 innings in relief of Douglas Mathis to earn the victory.

Mathis labored through 4 2/3 innings, giving up nine hits and four runs.

Nathan Fogle struck out the side in the eighth before Wilson finished up in the ninth for his eighth save.

Teagarden was also 3 for 3 as the Indians pounded out 14 hits.

Game four of the five-game series is tonight. Left-hander Broc Coffman (1-2, 3.50 ERA) starts for Spokane against right-hander Taylor Wilding (2-1, 5.70).