Tim Tawa leads Hillsboro hit parade, Spokane Indians fall 12-3

Hillsboro put on a power display Friday night at Avista Stadium.

Tim Tawa went 4 for 6 with a homer and five RBIs as the Hops rapped out 19 hits and blasted four home runs in a 12-3 win over Spokane (30-29) in the fourth of a six-game High-A Northwest League series.

It was the second consecutive loss for the Indians (30-29) after winning the first two games of the series.

Spokane starter Will Ethridge was roughed up for five runs on eight hits – including three homers – over five innings. 

The Indians’ Zac Veen stole home to tie the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the third inning, but Spokane’s offense stalled. Hillsboro (28-31) was just getting rolling.

A.J. Vukovich hit a two-run shot in the fifth to give the Hops a 5-3 edge.

Hillsboro added a run in the sixth on an RBI single by Shane Muntz. The Hops put the game out of reach with four more runs in the seventh. Tawa, whose two-run homer in the third gave Hillsboro a 3-2 lead, capped the seventh-inning outburst with a two-run double.

Adrian Del Castillo opened the scoring with a solo homer in the first for the Hops. Hillsboro’s Tristin English also hit a solo shot in the eighth.

Spokane’s Eddy Diaz tied the game at 1 in the first with a leadoff homer.

Drew Romo was the lone Indians player with multiple hits and finished 2 for 3 with a walk. Veen walked and had a hit and scored two runs.

Del Castillo, Caleb Roberts and Danny Oriente finished with three hits apiece and Watkins was 2 for 4 for the Hops.

The teams play again Saturday at 6:35 p.m.