"Balk-Off" Saves C's From Collapse In Wild 10-Inning Win

VANCOUVER, BC – Two unearned runs in the bottom of the tenth led the Canadians to victory over the Spokane Indians (COL) Friday afternoon at The Nat, treating a sellout crowd to a walk-off 15-14 win. The C’s scored eight runs in the second inning, followed by five more in the bottom of the fourth to lead Spokane 13-4. However, the Indians would go on to score 10 unanswered runs and force Vancouver into extra innings. Spokane scored in the top of the tenth, but the C’s would plate two runs in their half of the inning without recording a hit to win 15-14.

In the top of the tenth inning, the Indians scored a run to take the lead 14-13 and force the Canadians into a do-or-die bottom of the stanza. With Maddox Latta placed at second to start the inning, a throwing error after Austin Smith’s ground ball to second base would tie up the game and put the winning run in scoring position. A sacrifice bunt from Bryce Chance advanced Smith to third then a two-out balk from Spokane’s Justin Loer (L, 3-4) would send Smith home and hand the C’s their third win in four games this week.

The C’s biggest inning came in the second. Latta opened the frame with a four-pitch walk, which was followed by a Smith double to score the first run. Three consecutive singles filled the bases for the nine-hole man Jaxson West, who hit his first High-A home run for a grand slam. Following that hit, two more runs were scored to make it 8-0. Spokane followed with a two-run homer of their own in the top of the third and plated two more in the fourth to cut the C’s lead in half.

In the bottom of the fourth was another big inning, as the Canadians sent 11 men to the plate once again. Two singles and a walk would put three men aboard the bases. Smith was hit by a pitch to score the first run, followed by a Chance sacrifice fly. One more man would reach with a walk for West to hit a two-RBI single. To round out the inning, Dameury Peña delivered an RBI knock to make the score 13-4.

Spokane worked their way back into the game by plating three runs in the fifth and five in the seventh to come within one run of the Canadians before tying the score with two outs in the eighth.

Troy Guthrie started on the mound; he worked into the fifth inning and gave up 10 hits, seven runs, walked none and struck out two. Brandon Barriera made his High-A debut; his final line for the day: 1.1 IP, 3 H, 5 R, 3 BB, 2 K.

Gilberto Batista (BS,2) entered the game in the seventh and logged 1.2 stanzas, where he gave up three hits and a single run while striking out four. Jack Eshelman (W, 3-2) started the ninth, where the only run and hit he gave up were in the tenth inning.

The Canadians will play their final regular-season night game tomorrow, when Landen Maroudis gets the start against lefty Bryson Van Sickle. First pitch is at 5:05 p.m.

For tickets and more information throughout the 75^th anniversary season of The Nat, visit CanadiansBaseball.com, call 604-872-5232 and follow the C’s on social via @vancanadians.