Spokane Indians comeback stalls in late innings, Hillsboro evens series with 8-5 win

All six teams in the Northwest League started play on Wednesday within two games of the lead with 14 games remaining in the first half.

The two teams tied at the top faced off at Avista Stadium, and the visitors busted open a close game with multiple runs in each of the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. But the home team didn’t go down without a fight.

Gavin Logan and Jackson Felter both hit three-run home runs as the Hillsboro Hops built a seven-run lead and held off the Spokane Indians 8-5 in the second game of a six-game series.

Both starting pitchers – Lebarron Johnson Jr. for the Indians (27-26) and Casey Anderson for the Hops (28-25) – cruised through the first four innings, allowing a combined five hits and three walks.

But Johnson hit a wall in the fifth. He walked the first two batters, and a bunt moved them over to second and third. Cristofer Torin lined a single to right that was bobbled by EJ Andrews Jr. and a run scored, but his two-hop throw nailed Logan trying to score from second.

Torin stole second, then Ryan Waldschmidt singled through the hole on the left side. Jared Thomas threw a strike to the plate, but Torin slid around the tag to make it 2-0.

Davison Palermo came on to strike out Feltner to end the inning.

Palermo didn’t have it as good in the sixth. He walked Angel Ortiz to lead off the inning and Druw Jones singled. With one out, Logan crushed a first-pitch fastball well over the tall wall in left-center for a three-run homer – his first of the season.

Hillsboro’s Anderson ran out of gas in the bottom half. He walked Charlie Condon and Cole Messina, then was lifted for Joangel Gonzalez. Andy Perez hit a grounder to second and the Hops forced Messina, but the relay throw was wide and Condon scored on the error.

Indians reliever Alan Perdomo gave up a walk and a single to start the seventh, then Feltner hit a long three-run home run, his fifth of the season, to make it 8-1.

The Indians didn’t fold, rallying for four in the bottom half – all with two outs.

Caleb Hobson walked and went to third on Thomas’ single. Condon lined a single off Gonzalez’s leg to score Hobson, then Braylen Wimmer – last week’s NWL Player of the Week – launched a three-run homer off the caboose in right-center to make it 8-5, his seventh of the season.

But there was no late-inning magic. Indians shortstop Andy Perez led off the eighth with a double but was stranded. Hops reliever Sam Knowlton handled the ninth for his first save of the season.

The series continues Thursday at 6:35 p.m.