Boise sweeps Spokane
Hawks break out brooms, take over first
BOISE – A promising start by the Spokane Indians fizzled and the Boise Hawks sizzled their way to an 11-7 victory Monday in an early-season battle for first place in the Northwest League’s East Division.
Spokane (6-5) jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning, but the lead was gone by the bottom of the second and Boise (7-4) completed a three-game sweep to move a game ahead of the Indians in the standings.
Rougned Odor led off with a double for the Indians in the first. After Nick Vickerson walked, Zachary Cone doubled home Odor. Vickerson scored on a groundout by Brett Nicholas and Guillermo Pimentel capped the inning with a RBI single.
That would be it for Spokane until the top of the seventh.
Meanwhile, the Hawks knocked Indians starter David Perez (0-2) out of the game with a run in the first and three more in the second.
Spokane reliever Christopher Hanna fared no better. Hanna allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits in three innings and left with the Indians trailing 8-3.
The Indians trailed 10-3 before scoring three times in the seventh. Odor led off with a single and scored on a Vickerson double. With one out, Nicholas swatted his third home run of the season to cut the lead to 10-6.
Spokane loaded the bases with one out in the eighth, but after Cone singled in a run Boise closer Dustin Fitzgerald struck out Nicholas and Pimentel to end it.