The Pioneer League All-Stars outslugged the Northwest League All-Stars 11-7 Tuesday night in Boise, Idaho.
Kervin Castro of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes was the starting NWL pitcher and threw a perfect frame in his only inning of work. Few of the pitchers stayed for more than an inning, and Castro was the only Volcano player to appear in the game.
Even though he didn’t play in the actual contest, Salem-Keizer third baseman Sean Roby won the home run derby that preceded the game. Although he has only one regular-season homer so far, he hit 18 dingers in the final round of the derby.
Volcanoes players Franklin Labour and Ricardo Genoves were also selected to the represent the Northwest League in the All-Star Game, but both players were promoted to the Augusta Green Jackets — the High-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, on Thursday Aug. 1.
The NWL took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. Patrick Frick of Everett doubled, Spokane’s Kellen Strahm reached first base on a force out of teammate Blaine Crim and Eugene’s Chase Strumpf drove both runners in with a double.
The Pioneer League, which competes at the Rookie Advanced level, which is one notch below the Short-Season-A Northwest League, answered with five runs in the top of the third. The big blow was a grand slam by Jeremiah Jackson of the Orem Owlz.
In the bottom of the fifth, with the bases loaded, Frick of Everett and Crim hit a two-run single. Trent Tingelstad of Everett singled one more run in, and the NWL led 6-5.
The Pioneer League went ahead for good in the sixth with home runs by Eric Yang of Billings and John Littell of Ogden.
Odgen’s Sam McWilliams hit a two-run homer in the eighth. The final run of the game came when an eighth-inning double by Vancouver’s Trevor Schwecke drove in Bladimir Restituyo of Boise.
Patrick McGuff of Missoula was the winning pitcher. Taking the loss was Hillsboro’s Marcos Tineo.
