Indians stumble late in loss to Dust Devils

PASCO – The Spokane Indians whiffed away a potential victory against the Tri-City Dust Devils in Northwest League action on Wednesday night at Gesa Stadium.

Not only did Tri-City pitchers account for 17 of the 27 outs by virtue of the strikeout, but the Dust Devils scored the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning thanks to a one-out double and a pair of throwing errors.

It was a pitchers’ duel between the Indians’ Demarcus Evans and the Dust Devils’ Cal Quantrill through the first five innings.

Evans didn’t allow a hit – but issued four walks – in five shutout innings. Quantrill allowed just two hits with eight strikeouts and no walks in 4 2/3 innings.

Tri-City (5-8) took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning after Kevin Lenik relieved Evans.

Buddy Reed doubled with one out and scored on a single by G.K. Young.

Spokane (7-6) evened the score in the top of the eighth inning when Blaine Prescott singled with two outs and scored on a double by Charles Leblanc.

Lenik settled down and threw a scoreless seventh and eighth inning before Chris Dula relieved him in the bottom of the ninth.

Dula promptly forced a groundout from leadoff hitter Kyle Overstreet, but then disaster struck twice.

Boomer White doubled on a line drive to Indians right fielder Darius Day. But Day and third baseman Brallan Perez both had throwing errors on the play to allow the two-base hit turn into the game-winning run.