Spokane Indians run win streak to six with 11-3 win over Hillsboro

Jack Blomgren and Austin Bernard had three hits apiece and the Spokane Indians knocked off the Hillsboro Hops 11-3 in the third game of a six-game High-A West series at Avista Stadium on Friday.

The Indians (48-44) have beaten the Hops (42-50) in three straight and have won six in a row and 11 of their past 14 games. The winning streak is the longest of the season for Spokane.

“It’s definitely nice to be on a winning team,” Bernard said. “No one likes to lose. We’re seven games back right now in the playoff race, so the team’s got some fire going and we’re excited.”

The Indians pounded out 15 hits, five for extra bases, and all but one batter in the lineup collected a hit.

“I think it’s sort of wears off on us as baseball players when other people are doing good things,” Blomgren said. “You kind of see it and we want to do it as badly as them, so it kind of all works together as a whole.”

Will Ethridge (2-5), a 2019 fifth-round pick, made his 10th start for Spokane. He went six innings and allowed two runs on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts. He threw 77 pitches, 54 for strikes.

“Will came out and did a tremendous job, threw strikes,” Bernard said. “He didn’t get behind. Didn’t waste any pitches with any hitters. Tremendous stuff for us tonight.”

The Indians got on the board in the first inning as Blomgren hit a one-out triple and scored on a wild pitch by Collin Sullivan, making his first start of the season for Hillsboro.

“I’m just really relaxed in the box, seeing the ball pretty well,” Blomgren said. “I got myself into some decent counts, and found the barrel multiple times, so it was a good night for us overall.”

Spokane broke it open in the second.

Brenton Doyle hit a one-out double, went to third on a single by Daniel Montano and scored on a double by Bernard.

“First three at-bats I got three hits, went out there looking for fastballs,” Bernard said. “I has to stay with my approach and had some luck tonight.”

Montano (2 for 3, two runs) has hits in 11 of his past 12 games and has boosted his average to .330 in 24 games with Spokane.

Cade Harris followed with a two-run double. After Isaac Collins walked, Blomgren lined a single to center that was misplayed by Elijah Green and two more runs scored.

Seven consecutive runners reached before Sullivan was relieved by Gerald Ogando.

Spokane added another run in the third as Doyle singled, went to second on a wild pitch, moved to third on a single by Bernard and scored on a sacrifice fly.

Hillsboro picked up its first hit of the game in the fifth, a single by Blaze Alexander. Nick Dalesandro followed with a single to put runners on the corners.

A third consecutive base hit, by Elijah Greene, plated the Hops’ first run and a second run came in on a groundout.

Montano walked in the fifth, went to second on a wild pitch by reliever Bobby Ay and scored on a throwing error after a single by Bernard to make it 9-2.

Hillsboro’s Andy Yerzy hit his fourth home run in the last three games, a solo shot, in the eighth inning. It was his 13th of the season.

The Indians added on in the bottom half. Stovall singled, went to second on a walk by Niko Decolati and scored on a single by Grant Lavigne. Montano added a sacrifice fly to make it 11-3.