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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Valliant Vallone Tough On Spokane Boise Wins Season Series 7-3 With Tiebreaking Run In Ninth

Against the rest of the Northwest League, Gar Vallone hits like Gar Vallone.

Against the Spokane Indians, Vallone looked like Ty Cobb.

Vallone’s one-out, run-scoring single to center field in the bottom of the ninth inning Wednesday lifted the Boise Hawks to a 5-4 Northwest League decision.

Vallone, with a batting average around .220, finished 6 of 15 (.400), with six RBIs, against Spokane.

Boise, in general, had success with Spokane this season. The Hawks (28-19) won 7 of 10 from the Indians (18-29).

Vallone’s hit came against Brent Kaysner (0-2), the third Spokane pitcher. Kaysner walked Bryan Graves with one out, then allowed Justin Baughman’s single that Indians right fielder Leon Weathersby nearly corralled with a slide.

Reliever Kekoa Dafun (2-3) won after a scoreless ninth.

Hawks starter Jarrod Washburn was tough after a rocky start, retiring 14 straight batters at one point. Washburn’s streak ended with one out in the eighth when Tony Miranda doubled. Boise reliever Grant Vermillion entered with two out and gave up Patrick Hallmark’s RBI single for a 4-3 Indians lead.

Kevin Ham’s single off Hal Hodge in the first gave Boise a 1-0 lead. Ham went 3 for 3 and, at .361, leads the league in hitting.

Spokane took a 2-1 lead in the second when Mark Quinn doubled, Brett Schafer singled him to third and Joel Nations hit the chalk line in left for his second double of the year. Schafer was thrown out at home, but Nations scored on Tyrone Frazier’s one-out single.

In the third, Hallmark’s sacrifice fly made the edge 3-1, but Boise pulled even on RBI doubles by David Davalillo and Ham.

Davalillo’s leadoff double in the eighth chased Spokane reliever Jason Ritter. Vallone pinch-ran for Davalillo and Kaysner entered the game. Vallone was thrown out at home on a grounder to third, but pinch-hitter Ty Bilderback singled to right with two outs for a tie.

James Vida was 0 for 1 and dropped his average to .360. He was 16 of 35 (.457) against Boise.