Tribe Loses In 10 Before 6,965

The Boise Hawks didn’t have much to show for their 29 hits until the perfect person stepped up to bat.

Ryan Kane, who leads the Northwest League with 33 runs batted in, rocketed a two-out double to center field Saturday to catapult Boise over Spokane, 5-4 in 10 innings.

Kane’s double, his eighth of the season, was the 29th hit the Hawks generated during the first two game of the five-game series. Boise’s problem, as it was during a 9-4 Friday loss at Seafirst Stadium, was not completing what it started. After stranding 16 runners on Saturday, the Hawks have left 30 runners on base in Spokane.

“We just didn’t capitalize on a ton of opportunities,” said Kane, the California Angels’ sixth-round selection from Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C.

Kane also had a two-run homer in the third - his fifth of the season - when Boise began to peck away at Spokane’s 4-0 lead.

Boise (18-12) ended the Indians’ threegame winning streak. Spokane (13-17), which had won seven of nine coming in, slipped to three games behind Northern Division leader Bellingham.

The evening showed great promise for Spokane, as an announced crowd of 6,965 enjoyed the 82-degree weather and the comedy of the Famous Chicken.

Boise started second-round selection Jarrod Washburn, rated by Boise manager Tom Kotchman as one of the best left-handers he’s seen in six years with the Hawks.

Washburn flashed his brilliance, but only after the first five Indians hitters ripped base hits.

“(Washburn) was throwing the ball great,” Kane said. “They just hit good pitches.”

Boise right fielder Leonardo Bryan misplayed Patrick Hallmark’s single, allowing Tony Miranda to score, then threw wide to third base to bring in Mark Melito. William Roland followed with an RBI triple, then James Vida had an RBI single for his league-best 42nd hit.

Instead of being shell-shocked, Washburn started humming. He retired 20 of the next 21 batters, 10 by strikeout. The exception was Randy Paulin’s single in the fourth, but left fielder Jed Dalton threw out the Indians designated hitter when he tried to stretch the hit to a double.

The Hawks pecked away, with Kane’s smash in the third, Kevin Ham’s RBI single in the fourth and Danny Buxbaum’s RBI double in the sixth. Buxbaum, with 27 RBIs, trails only Kane in the league.

“I don’t think about it that much,” Kane said of his league lead. “I may not have any more the rest of the season.”

Kane’s game-winner came against Jonathan Albrecht (1-1), the fourth Spokane pitcher.

The Indians stranded Hallmark at third in the ninth and left Tyrone Frazier at third in the 10th. Brian Scutero, the third Hawks pitcher, earned his NWL-best eighth save despite walking Dwayne Lewis when he entered and going 2-0 on Hallmark before a fielder’s choice force at home. Roland lined to Kane to end the game.

The middle game of the five-game series, at 6:05 tonight, is scheduled to match right-handed starters Stephen Agosto (0-1, 6.52) of Boise against Spokane’s Allen Sanders (1-2, 3.14).

, DataTimes