Bears don’t balk at victory

KEIZER, Ore. — One night after letting a game slip away in the latter innings, the Yakima Bears turned the tables on the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.

After pulling even with a three-run sixth inning, Yakima would eventually earn a 7-6 victory when Volcanoes pitcher Shawn Sanford balked home Raoul Torrez with two outs and the bases loaded in the 10th inning.

Jake Hale sealed the victory with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 10th, striking out Devin Harris and then getting both Kyle Mach and Jeff Arnold on flyouts to center.

With the victory, Yakima evens its second-half record at 1-1.

Things didn’t look particularly good for the Bears early on, though, as Salem-Keizer scored four runs in the first, three coming on home run by Carter Jurica, and then stretched its lead to 6-3 with two more in the fifth.

But Yakima immediately answered that latter rally with a three-run sixth.

Kawika Emsley-Pai smacked a double to center, scoring Henry Zabala and sending Torrez to third. A wild pitch to the next batter scored Torrez and moved Emsley-Pai to third. Following a walk, Michael Freeman delivered a sacrifice fly that scored Emsley-Pai.

Yakima wound up outhitting Salem-Keizer 12-11, with Freeman collecting three hits, and Justin Hilt, Zach Walters and Torrez getting two apiece.

One of Walters’ hits was a two-run double in Yakima’s three-run third.

Salem-Keizer got a three-hit night from Ryan Scoma, who also scored twice, with Jose Medina adding two hits, two runs scored and two RBI.

The series continues through Sunday, with Yakima then returning home for a five-game set with the Eugene Emeralds that begins Monday.