Hunter Bishop (left) takes a secondary lead off of first base (KEIZERTIMES/Matt Rawlings).
The Volcanoes completed a home sweep on Friday, July 19 in familiar fashion, coming from behind to edge Boise 4-3.
Boise’s first run came in the second, when Joe Aielts, who had led off with a triple to center field, scored on Yorvis Torrealba’s sacrifice fly to left.
In the Volcano fourth, Franklin Labour led off with a single to center and went to second when Logan Wyatt singled to left, but Boise starter Jeffri Ocando retired the next three batters.
Conner Nurse, who had pitched four innings with three strikeouts as the Volcanoes’ starter, was replaced in the top of the fifth by Scott Jordan, who pitched the fifth and sixth.
Salem-Keizer tied the score in the fifth. Simon Whiteman hit a two-out single to left and went to second base on an errant throw by first baseman Michael Toglia. Hunter Bishop singled to center, scoring Whiteman.
The Hawks regained the lead in the sixth when Aaron Schunk led off with a home run over the right field fence.
Alex Dubord pitched the seventh inning for the Volcanoes, allowing only one single, and retired the side in order in the eighth. With Wander Cabrera pitching the seventh for Boise, Armani Smith led off with single that was erased by a double play, which was soon followed by the third out.
The Volcanoes, however, went back ahead in the eighth with Jacob Wallace pitching for Boise. Bishop walked with one out and reached third on Labour’s double to left. Wyatt drove both in with a single to center.
With Chris Roberts pitching in the top of the ninth, Toglia led off with a home run to right, tying the score at 3-3. The next batter, Aielts, was knocked down when a pitch hit his head and was helped off the field. Trevor Boone ran for him. Roberts retired the next three batters.
In the Volcano ninth, with Fineas Del Bonta-Smith pitching, Alex Canario led off with a triple to center. Yorlis Rodriguez singled to drive him in, giving Salem-Keizer the walkoff victory.
Roberts won his first game against no losses.
Wednesday, July 17: Volcanoes 7, Boise 2
Salem-Keizer led all the way with two runs in the first inning, one in the third and two each in the fifth and seventh. Boise scored a run in the fourth and one in the fifth.
The Volcano lineup included two newcomers, center fielder Hunter Bishop and first baseman Logan Wyatt. Both bat left-handed, adding balance to the offense. Bishop went 2-for-4 including a home run, and Wyatt went 1-for-2.
One of the Hawks’ runs came on a home run, which Bladimir Restituyo hit in the fifth.
Armani Smith had three hits for the Volcanoes and Sean Roby two.
Tyler Schimpf was the winning pitcher in relief for a 3-0 record. He had six strikeouts in 2.2 innings.
Thursday, July 18: Volcanoes 2, Boise 1
This was a come-from behind victory and guaranteed a series win for the Volcanoes.
Boise scored its run in the fourth inning; Salem-Keizer’s runs came in the sixth and the seventh.
In the Hawks fourth, a single by Michael Toglia drove in Ezequiel Tovar. The first Volcano run came when a double by Ricardo Genoves scored Hunter Bishop. In the bottom of the seventh, Simon Whiteman came home on a single by Tyler Fitzgerald.
Deiyer Bolivar was the winning pitcher in relief at 2-0, and Clay Helvey, who struck out the side in the ninth, got his third save.
Saturday, July 20: Volcanoes 15, Boise 12 (10 innings)
Salem-Keizer followed a home sweep of Boise with a hard-fought win over the same team on the road.
The Hawks scored a run in the first inning, the Volcanoes got two in the second and Boise tied the score in the second. Salem-Keizer led most of the way, but the Hawks scored three times in the ninth for a 10-10 tie. The Volcanoes scored five runs in the 10th, but Boise could manage only three.
For the Volcanoes, Franklin Labour hit his league-leading 14th home run, and two recent additions to the team, Brandon Martorano and Armani Smith, hit their first homers as Volcanoes.
Israel Cruz was the winning pitcher for a 2-0 record.
Monday, July 22: Volcanoes 6, Boise 5
Salem-Keizer followed a home sweep of Boise with a road sweep in this final game of the first half of the Northwest League season.
It was a pitchers dual through six innings, but with the Hawks ahead 2-1 going into the seventh, the Volcanoes scored five times in the top of that inning. Kwan Adkins singled Jeff Houghtby home, Tyler Fitzgerald drove in Chris Corbett and Adkins with a triple. A double by Alex Canario scored Fitzgerald and Hunter Bishop.
Volcano starter Jake Lopez, despite allowing no earned runs and two unearned and striking out seven in his five innings, left the game before his team got the lead. Abel Adames got the win at 1-0 and Miguel Figueroa had his first save.
Tuesday, July 23: Hillsboro 5, Volcanoes 4
It was close all the way, but the Hops went ahead by three runs in the seventh inning and Salem-Keizer could add only two in the eighth and none in the ninth.
The Volcanoes’ biggest hit was an eighth-inning home run by Alex Canario with Jeff Houghtby on base. Hillsboro also had a home run, which Kristian Robinson hit in the eighth with Jesus Marriaga on base.
The six pitchers for the Hops held the Volcanoes to six hits. Nick Snyder was the winner in relief with a 1-0 record. Jesus Ozoria, Salem-Keizer’s starter, took the loss at 3-2.