(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - Spokane RHP Ricky Vanasco stole the show on Friday afternoon going four innings of two-hit baseball striking out seven Canadians along the way to help pace the Indians to a convincing 9-1 victory to open up the 2019 Northwest League
(Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium - Vancouver, B.C.) - Spokane RHP Ricky Vanasco stole the show on Friday afternoon going four innings of two-hit baseball striking out seven Canadians along the way to help pace the Indians to a convincing 9-1 victory to open up the 2019 Northwest League season.
Vanasco was one of five pitchers that came within an inning of a season-opening shutout as Vancouver got its lone run of the game in the bottom of the 9th when 1B Yorman Rodriguez smacked an RBI double down the right field line to score C Jesus Lopez. The Canadians would manage five hits on the afternoon with CF Dominic Abbadessa going 2-for-4 (.500) with a pair of singles.
Canadians starter RHP Adam Kloffenstein (0-1) absorbed the loss despite running into some bad luck that began in the top of the 1st inning when a ball that was hit to left field bounced off LF Mc Gregory Contreras' glove and over the fence for DH Luis Asuncion's first home run of the season - scoring LF Ryan Anderson to give the Indians a 2-0 lead. Note: Contreras bowled over the fence as well in his attempt to secure the fly ball that ended up on the wrong side of the bullpen wall.
Spokane's LF Ryan Anderson was the only visiting player with a multi-hit game going 2-for-5 (.400) with a pair of runs scored as the Indians took advantage of three Vancouver errors and six walks to improve to 1-0 (1.000) of the season while the C's fell to 0-1 (.000).
Canadians RHP Juan Nunez was a bright spot going two innings of one-hit baseball while RHP Andy McGuire pitched a clean top of the 9th to settle Vancouver's pitching staff heading into Saturday night's game set for Saturday, June 15th at 7:05pm vs. Spokane. Vancouver will send RHP Grant Townsend to the mound as the former Oral Roberts University standout looks to get the C's into the win column for the first time this season.
To view today's box score, click HERE
Tickets to Vancouver Canadians Baseball are available by calling 604.872.5232, online at www.canadiansbaseball.com or by visiting the Nat Bailey Stadium Box Office at 4601 Ontario Street, Vancouver, B.C.
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