Ethan Hedges scores winning run in 10th, Spokane Indians edge Everett 6-5 | NWL baseball

It wasn’t the prettiest game-winning play, but they don’t ask how – just how many.

Ethan Hedges scored the walk-off run in the 10th inning courtesy of a 30-foot tapper and the Spokane Indians edged the Everett AquaSox 6-5 in the second of a three-game High-A Northwest League series at Avista Stadium on Saturday.

The Indians (15-8) took a one-game lead over the AquaSox (14-9) for first place in the second half standings. 

Nathan Blasick, in his third inning of work, sat the AquaSox down 1-2-3 in the top of the 10th. With automatic runner Hedges at second in the bottom half, Tanner Thach reached on an error by Everett shortstop Felnin Celesten.

Jacob Humphrey hit a tapper in front of the plate, but catcher Josh Caron couldn’t handle the feed from pitcher Christian Little and Hedges slid into a collision with the winning run.

Hedges finished 2-for-5 with a homer, two runs and three RBI.

For the second game in a row, the game’s first runs came courtesy of an Everett home run. With two down in the first inning, Indians starter Everett Catlett allowed a double to Celesten then a walk to cleanup hitter Matthew Ellis before Brandon Eike launched one off the giant scoreboard in left center field for his 17th home run of the season, good for second in the league.

Unlike Friday’s 11-3 loss, though, the Indians responded right away. Roldy Brito and Roynier Hernandez drew one-out walks off AquaSox starter Colton Shaw in the bottom half, then Hedges hit the scoreboard as well for his 11th round-tripper of the campaign.

Thach followed with a double into the right field corner, then Humphrey bounced one up the middle to plate Thach and make it 4-3.

Shaw bounced back to strike out Robert Calaz but was lifted with two down in the first after 36 pitches. Wyatt Lunsford-Shenkman entered and got Juan Castillo to bounce out to end the rally.

Everett regained the lead in the fifth. Alex Sanchez led off with a bloop single, took second and third on consecutive groundouts and scored on a wild pitch. Caron followed with a solo homer off the scoreboard, his league leading 19th of the season.

Catlett surrendered back-to-back hard-hit singles to Celesten and Ellis, and Indians manager Tom Sutaris lifted the lefty in favor of righty Hunter Mann, who got Eike to line out to end the inning.

The Indians loaded the bases on consecutive walks and an infield single by Kelvin Hidalgo and the AquaSox switched pitchers again to Lucas Kelly. That brought up Tommy Hopfe, who grounded to second to end the threat.

Brito manufactured a run to tie it by himself in the seventh. He led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch after faking a steal attempt, then stole third and scored on a second wild pitch by Kelly.

Hopfe finished 0-for-5 and is now 2-for-28 since his 22-game hit streak came to an end on July 8.

The series concludes Sunday at 1:05 p.m.