Volcanoes sloppy on defense, drop fifth straight

The Volcanoes committed four errors and allowed four unearned runs Friday night, falling to the Spokane Indians 4-1 in front of 2,416 at Volcanoes Stadium. 

Salem-Keizer starter Drew Leenhouts (1-1, 0.69 ERA) tossed a gem - his only mistake coming with two outs in the sixth inning. With a runner at third, Leenhouts hung a curveball and Indians' right fielder Jamie Potts didn't miss, depositing it over the right field fence to put the Indians out in front 2-0. 

 

A two-run shot off of Leenhouts has Spokane out in front 2-0 through 5.5 innings.

- Volcanoes Baseball (@SKVolcanoes) June 27, 2015

 

The Volcanoes struggled on offense once again and let a golden opportunity slip away in the first. Dillon Tate, the fourth overall pick in the 2015 Draft, walked the bases loaded with only one out in his first professional inning of work. Jose Vizcaino Jr. rolled into a double play, however, ending the threat. Salem-Keizer finished 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position on the evening.  

Tate was pulled to begin the second inning, ending his debut, but the Volcanoes' couldn't seem to solve reliever Joe Palumbo (1-1, 3.48 ERA), either. Palumbo fired six 2/3 innings, allowing only one run on four hits. 

The Indians tacked two more runs in the eighth courtesy of some defensive miscues. Volcanoes shortstop C.J. Hinojosa committed two errors on one play, failing to field a groundball properly then throwing behind the runner, allowing LaDarious Clark to coast into second base. Leon Byrd then dropped a double into left field, scoring Clark. Byrd later stole home when Fernando Pujadas airmailed a throw into center field, pushing the Spokane advantage to 4-0. 

Mark Nelson provided a spark for Salem-Keizer, hitting a solo home run in the eighth, but it wouldn't be enough for the Volcanoes as they dropped their fifth straight game. 

Player of the Game: Leenhouts took the tough-luck loss for Salem-Keizer despite another quality outing. The left-hander allowed only four hits with five strikeouts in six innings of work. He only made one mistake - the hanging breaking ball to Potts - and he paid for it. 

Up Next: The Volcanoes continue their series with the Spokane Indians tomorrow night. Mike Connolly (0-1, 6.35 ERA) will start for Salem-Keizer. Fans are encouraged to dress in orange and black as the Volcanoes celebrate the San Francisco Giants 2014 World Championship. Volcanoes Stadium will also continue its Agriculture Week by honoring the Oregon food processing industry. First pitch is set for 6:35.