Yassel Soler hits walk-off homer in 10th inning, Spokane Indians lose to Hillsboro 6-4 | NWL baseball

HILLSBORO, Ore. – Yassel Soler hit a walk-off two-run homer in the 10th inning and the Hillsboro Hops beat the Spokane Indians 6-4 in the third of a six-game High-A Northwest League series at Hillsboro Hops Ballpark on Thursday.

Soler hit the first pitch of the bottom of the 10th off Indians reliever Francis Rivera. It was the first home run and first walk-off win for the Hops in their new ballpark.

The Indians (3-3) got on the board in the first on a double by Max Belyeu followed by an RBI single by Robert Calaz. The Hops tied it up in the bottom half when Slade Caldwell walked, stole second and scored on a two-out groundout.

Tommy Hopfe drew a two-out walk in the second and scored on a triple by Alan Espinal, but Espinal was thrown out at the plate attempting an inside-the-park home run.

It stayed that way until the sixth. Jacob Humphrey led off the inning with a double and with two down Hillsboro made a pitching change. Ethan Hedges greeted reliever Sandro Santana with a run-scoring double to left. Roynier Hernandez followed with a line-drive single to center to plate Hedges and make it 4-1.

The Hops (2-4) picked up a run in the bottom half against Indians reliever Bryson Hammer on a walk, groundout and two wild pitches.

Hillsboro made it a one-run game in the ninth on consecutive singles by Alberto Barriga and Wallace Clark, then a sacrifice bunt and a sacrifice fly. With two down and a runner at third, Indians pitcher Justin Loer and the Hops’ Avery Owusu-Asiedu battled for nine pitches before Owusu-Asiedu lined a single to center to tie it 4-all and send it to extra innings.

In the 10th, Caleb Hobson grounded to short where Adrian Rodriguez fielded the ball, tagged automatic runner Alan Espinal then threw to first to double-up Hobson. Humphrey walked, but Belyeu struck out to leave him stranded.