Eighth-inning homer crushes comeback hopes, Spokane Indians lose to Eugene 9-5

Eugene Emeralds leadoff hitter Bo Davidson had a busy night on Thursday. He reached four times and scored three times – and provided the loudest hit of the game.

Davidson launched the longest home run of the season at Avista Stadium in the eighth inning, a three-run shot, and the Spokane Indians lost to the Emeralds 9-5 in the third of a six-game High-A Northwest League series.

The Indians and Emeralds have matching 9-9 records.

Davidson led off the game with a single off Indians starter Konner Eaton. With one down, James Tibbs ripped a run-scoring double off the base of the wall in center.

Spokane’s Jared Thomas tied the game in the third with a two-out solo home run off the scoreboard in right-center, his third homer of the season.

Eaton found more trouble in the fourth. Tibbs led off with a double and Charlie Szykowny singled. Quinn McDaniel doubled off the short wall in right to score Tibbs, and Eaton hit Scott Bandura to load the bases.

But Eaton recovered to get a pair of ground-ball outs to get out of the inning without further damage.

That was the end of Eaton’s outing. He went four innings and allowed five hits and a walk with two strikeouts. The 22-year-old lefty threw 66 pitches, 40 for strikes.

Reliever Braxton Hyde was greeted rudely in the fifth. He gave up ap one-out walk, then Jonah Cox clubbed a two-run homer to left. Tibbs reached on a dropped fly ball and Szykowny hit an RBI double to center to make it 6-1.

In the bottom half, Indians second base Jean Perez lined a one-out solo homer to the short porch in right, his third of the season. Caleb Hobson reached on an error and later scored on Andy Perez’s single to halve the deficit.

The Indians rallied in the seventh. With one down, Thomas delivered his third hit of the game, then went to third on a single by Perez, who promptly stole second. With two down, Aidan Longwell singled in front of right fielder Bandura and the poor throw home allowed Perez to slide without a tag.

But Eugene answered in the eighth. Francis Rivera took over on the mound and walked Bandura and hit Zane Zielinski.

That brought up Davidson, who crushed one over the batting cages that disappeared into the darkness of the parking lot beyond the right-field pavilion.