BOISE, Idaho - Nick Baligod gapped a two-out RBI double in the top of the ninth inning, as the Vancouver Canadians ended a four-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Boise Hawks, before a sellout crowd of 3,599 fans at Memorial Stadium.
Tied 2-2 in the ninth, Balbino Fuenmayor walked and was replaced by pinch runner Shane Opitz. Opitz stole second, with Baligod roping a 1-2 change into the left-center gap, his second double of the night, to give the C's the lead. NWL saves leader Drew Permison tossed a 1-2-3 ninth to log his 15th save of the season.
Vancouver took an early 2-0 lead in the game, getting an back-to-back doubles by Baligod and Matt Newman in the second to make it 1-0, with Roan Salas launching a solo homer in the fourth. The Hawks tied it with one swing in the sixth, as Rafael Lopez golfed a two-run homer - but stranded the bases loaded in the seventh inning.
Both starters were outstanding, as Aaron Sanchez, the Blue Jays 2010 first-round pick, threw five shutout frames, allowing just two hits and fanning five. Ben Wells logged the longest outing by a Boise pitcher this season, tossing seven innings of three-hit ball, in a no-decision effort.
Dustin Harrington went 2-for-4 for the Hawks and Baligod went 2-for-4 for the C's, the only players with multi-hit games.
The regular-season finale is tomorrow morning at 11:35 a.m. - with Jean Sandoval getting the ball for Boise, opposite Ben White.
NOTES - For complete NWL playoff scenarios, go to http://boisehawksradio.mlblogs.com later this evening after the remaining three NWL games conclude - as at the present time, both Boise and Vancouver head into the final day of the season with playoff hopes alive...Paul Hoilman fanned three times tonight and is one strikeout away from tying the NWL record for strikeouts with 106.
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