Homer parade continues but Spokane Indians drop first-half finale to Vancouver 13-9 | NWL baseball

The Spokane Indians have been on a tear to end the Northwest League season first half, winning six of their last eight games - with 19 homers over the span - entering play in the last game of the first half on Thursday.

The homers kept coming for the home team, but they did as well for the visitors.

Tucker Toman homered twice, including a three-run shot in the seventh inning, and the Vancouver Canadians beat the Spokane Indians 13-9 in the third of a six-game series at Avista Stadium.

The teams combined for six homers and four doubles among 30 total hits.

The Indians (29-37) led 9-8 entering the seventh - but no lead in this game was safe in a back-and-forth affair.

With reliever Hunter Mann on the hill, Vancouver (27-39) drew a walk then hit three consecutive singles for a run. That brought up the reigning NWL player of the week, and Toman put a 2-2 offering into the parking lot beyond the right field seating area for a three-run shot and 13-9 Vancouver lead.

The Indians were unable to find a late rally.

Spokane starter Yuma Herrera escaped a two-on, two-out jam in the first inning, then Max Belyeu staked him to the lead in the bottom half, crushing one off the "Avista Stadium" sign above the scoreboard in right center for his team- and league-leading 11th home run of the season.

It was his seventh homer in his last 11 games.

Two batters later, Jack O'Dowd cleared the caboose with his seventh High-A homer since his promotion on May 20 and a 2-0 lead.

Herrera got back into hot water in the second. A walk and two singles loaded the bases with no outs. After a strikeout, Herrera walked leadoff hitter Sam Shaw to force in a run, then an infield single brought in a second.

Herrera coaxed a grounder from the 6-foot-5, 255-pound Peyton Williams, nicknamed the "Iowa Meat Truck," but it was hit too slowly to complete a double play, and the third run of the inning came across the plate.

The Indians retook the lead in the bottom half. A run scored as a result of a passed ball and a wild pitch, then Belyeu's soft liner to right plated Kelvin Hidalgo to go up 4-3.

Toman clobbered the first pitch he saw in the third from Herrera for his seventh homer of the season.

O'Dowd led off the bottom half with a walk, then Tommy Hopfe's long fly cleared the wall in front of the right field scoreboard for his seventh homer. Jacob Hinderleider reached on a one-out single, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and came in on a single by Hidalgo to make it 7-4.

Canadians third base Eric Snow hit a one-out solo homer in the sixth, then Indians reliever Justin Loer gave up two walks and two hits, which led to two more runs to put Vancouver up 8-7.

The Indians countered in the bottom half. Belyeu and Roynier Hernandez led off with back-to-back singles and both advanced on a wild pitch. One run scored on a flyout, then Hopfe doubled to the left center gap to plate Hernandez for a 9-8 lead.

The series continues Friday at 7 p.m. with postgame fireworks.

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