Yorlis Rodriguez rounds third base to score the Volcanoes first run of the season. (KEIZERTIMES/Dee Moore)
A 12-inning 7-6 win over Boise opened the season Friday for the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes.
Ricardo Genoves was the star of the game, getting four hits, driving in the first run, and scoring the last run. He caught six pitchers, who combined for 12 strikeouts.
The Volcanoes started the scoring in the first inning after Yorlis Rodriguez walked and went to second base as Sean Roby grounded out. Genoves singled to right field, scoring Rodriguez.
In the bottom of the third, Marcos Campos led off with a single to left, stole second base, and scored as Roby singled to left.
Kervin Castro, the Volcanoes’ starting pitcher, went five innings and allowed the Hawks their first lead, but only one of their three runs in the fifth was earned.
For Boise in the fifth, Isaac Collins led off with a bad-hop double, and Shael Mendoza was hit by a pitch. They advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Bryant Quijada, and an errant throw from Castro scored Collins and Mendoza and moved Quijada to second. Quijada, after reaching third on a single by LJ Hatch, scored on a sacrifice fly by Ezequiel Tovar, and the Hawks led 3-2.
Tyler Schimpf relieved Castro to start the sixth and retired the Hawks in order.
With Reagan Todd replacing Boise starter Frederis Parra in the bottom of the sixth, Franklin Labour hit a leadoff single to left. Kwanston Adkins hit an infield single, and Beicker Mendoza drove in Labour with a single to left center. The score was tied at 3.
In the Salem-Keizer seventh, Yorlis Rodriguez led off with a double to right. Labour doubled to right, driving him in and putting the Volcanoes back in the lead.
Boise answered with a run in the eighth. With Yoel Veras pitching, Trey Jacobs singled, went to third on a single by Joe Aeilts, and scored on a fielder’s choice. The score was 4-4 at the end of nine, and the Hawks went up by a run in the 11th. Shael Mendoza started the inning on second base, went to third as Flores singled to center, and scored when George Bell hit into a fielder’s choice.
Tovar started the Boise 12th on second base and scored as Aeilts doubled to right.
In the bottom of the 12th, Roby started on second base and reached third on Genoves’ single to left. Labour scored Roby with a double to right, moving Genoves to third. A wild pitch by Hunter Williams, who became the losing pitcher at 0-1, sent Genoves home.
Israel Cruz, who had entered the game to start the 11th, was the winning pitcher at 1-0.
Volcanoes manager Mark Hallberg, who praised his players for their teamwork, said many questions remained, especially with several players yet to arrive.
“Two of them just got in on the plane today,” he said.
Genoves, who had a much faster start at the plate than he did for the Volcanoes last season, said, “I’m still learning. We’re all working at it.”
The attendance in the revamped Volcanoes Stadium was 2,906.
Saturday, June 15: Volcanoes 5, Boise 4 (10 innings)
The second game of the season, like the first, was an extra-inning victory, and 2,224 fans were there.
Salem-Keizer took the early lead, scoring a run in the first inning and one in the second.
The score remained 2-0 until the top of the seventh, when the Hawks’ Ezequiel Tovar hit a solo home run. Franklin Labour answered with a bases-empty homer in the same inning.
Boise took a one-run lead with three runs in the eighth on a sacrifice fly and a two-run single.
In the Volcano ninth, Labour scored on an error to tie the game. With Kwan Adkins on third base in the bottom of the 10th, Sean Roby singled him home.
Bryce Tucker was the winning pitcher in relief. The loss went to Trent Fennell.
Sunday, June 16: Volcanoes 8, Boise 3
This time a nine-inning game completed a sweep of the series with the Hawks.
The seven-run Salem-Keizer first inning provided seven of the Volcanoes’ runs. The biggest blow was Franklin Labour’s second home run of the season, with George Bell and Sean Roby on base.
Keyberth Mejias followed with a one-RBI single. Then came a two-run triple by Kwan Adkins and a one-RBI single by Simon Weightman. Weightman scored the remaining Volcano run on a double by George Bell.
One of Boise’s runs came on a solo homer by Bladimir Restituyo in the second.
Luis Moreno, who went five innings as the starting pitcher, got the win. The losing pitcher was Jeffri Ocando, the Hawks’ starter.
The attendance was 2,290.
Monday, June 17: Spokane 12, Volcanoes 7
The Volcanoes, still at home, took their first loss in the four-day-old season.
Spokane, going into the fourth inning with a 2-0 lead, got all the runs it needed in the fourth by crossing the plate seven times. Matt Morales hit a two-run home run, and the remaining five came from two doubles, two wild pitches, and a balk.
For Salem-Keizer in the fifth, Kwan Adkins scored on a ground out, a triple by Sean Roby drove in Simon Whiteman, and another ground out sent Roby home. Franklin Labour hit a solo homer.
The Indians added three runs in the seventh. Obie Ricumstrict singled Stanly Martinez home, and a double by Ryan Anderson scored Ricumstrict and Cristian Inoa.
In the Volcano seventh, Ricardo Genoves homered with Yorlis Rodriguez on base, Rodriguez scored again in the ninth on a wild pitch.
Nic Laio was the winning pitcher in relief. Clay Helvey started for the Volcanoes and took the loss.
Tuesday, June 18: Spokane 8, Volcanoes 3
The Indians had three-run rallies in the second and fourth innings and overcame five errors and four stolen bases by Simon Whiteman for a 2-0 lead in the series.
Salem-Keizer’s Jeff Houghtby scored in the first inning on an error for the only Volcano lead of the game. Then came the top of the second, when a force out and two bases-loaded walks provided the first three Spokane runs.
In the top of the third, a ground out, a double, and a single drove in the next three Spokane runs.
The Volcanoes had only five hits, two each by Whiteman and Kwan Adkins and one by Sean Roby.
Juan Mejia was the winning pitcher in relief. Trevor Horn was the loser, also in relief.