Arrow-right Camera

Color Scheme

Subscribe now
Spokane Indians

Aidan Longwell provides some pop, Spokane Indians snap three-game skid against Hillsboro 15-8

Aidan Longwell missed 11 games recently with a lower-leg injury. In two games back for the Spokane Indians he’s been relegated to designated hitter, but he’s been doing exactly that – hitting.

He picked up a hit and an RBI in his first game back Friday and bettered that on Saturday, helping the Indians blow things open and snap a three-game losing streak.

Longwell hit a three-run home run as part of a six-run fourth inning and the Indians beat the first-place Hillsboro Hops 15-8 in the fifth of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Saturday.

The Indians (28-28) are 4-16 in Friday and Saturday games this season.

They moved to within two games of Hillsboro for the first-half title and a spot in the NWL championship series with 10 games to play.

“With this league, everyone’s so close together right now,” Longwell said. “It’s good to get the win today and hopefully take one tomorrow.”

Longwell wasn’t the only hitting star – Braylen Wimmer went 2 for 5 with a three-run homer while Jared Thomas and Skyler Messinger had two hits and two RBIs apiece.

Longwell is just happy to be contributing again.

“It took a week or so,” he said of the nagging injury. “But it feels good to be back out there and playing with the boys.”

Longwell is hopeful to play in the field soon. Charlie Condon has been getting the bulk of the playing time at first base in his absence.

“Soon. We’re just working through the progression,” Longwell said. “I played seven (innings) the other day and was in there for nine today. So, yeah, hopefully soon.”

After a 1-2-3 top of the first by Indians starting pitcher Alberto Pacheco (5-3), Spokane loaded the bases with one out in the bottom half against Hops starter Lorenzo Encarnacion. Cole Messina walked to force in a run, but Andy Perez and Messinger struck out swinging to end the burgeoning rally.

Hillsboro (30-26) scored in the second on a double-play grounder and in the fourth on a fly out.

The Indians rallied in the bottom of the fourth. Messina led off with a single and went to third on Perez’s base hit. Messinger beat out a bunt and Messina scored. Jean Perez was hit by a pitch, then Jesus Bugarin’s ground ball got through the right side for a two-run single.

Encarnacion got two outs, but he didn’t get past Longwell, who lined one halfway up the right-field foul pole for a three-run homer – his eighth of the season – and a 7-2 lead.

But Hillsboro bounced right back in the fifth. Consecutive singles set the stage, then Ben McLaughlin hit a ground-rule double into the left-field corner for a run. Druw Jones got jammed and grounded to first, but Pacheco didn’t cover the bag and all hands were safe with another run crossing to make it 7-4.

That ended Pacheco’s outing. He allowed four runs on 10 hits and three walks with just one strikeout.

The Indians went back to the attack in the fifth off Hillsboro reliever Alexis Liebano. Jean Perez hit an RBI single, Thomas flared a two-out, two-run double and Condon knocked him in with a single to make it 11-4.

The Indians got a single run in the sixth on Messinger’s RBI double, then Wimmer – the reigning NWL Player of the Month – got in on the action with a long three-run homer in the seventh, his eighth of the season, boosting the lead to 15-5.

That prompted Hillsboro manager Mark Reed to bring in first baseman McLaughlin to pitch – and he struck out Andy Perez on three pitches. It’s the third time McLaughlin has pitched this season without giving up a run and it was his first professional strikeout.