Indians Hammer Knuckler In 7th Willis Leads Way With Homer As Spokane Rallies For 4-1 Victory

The Spokane Indians needed six innings to figure out Lance Backowski’s knuckleball.

Dave Willis, Spokane’s hottest hitter during August, began the deciphering process.

Willis homered to lead off Spokane’s four-run seventh Friday as the Indians rallied for a 4-1 Northwest League win. Willis is hitting .400 (20 for 50), with 12 runs batted in, during his last 12 games.

Backowski (1-10) had allowed two singles when Willis hit a knuckleball to left field for his fifth homer. Spokane added three more hits off Backowski in the inning, including Goefrey Tomlinson’s RBI single and Joe Caruso’s RBI double.

Spokane (33-24) won its third consecutive game, its longest streak since taking nine straight June 25-July 3. Yakima is a league-worst 19-38, 3-10 in August. Spokane leads the season series 3-1 and will meet the Bears eight more times.

Boise (38-19) lost to Salem-Keizer 8-5 and leads Spokane by five games in the North Division.

Indians starter Justin Pedersen (5-1), who bested Backowski on July 9, allowed one unearned in seven innings, striking out seven and walking one. Pedersen, with 78 strikeouts, took over the NWL lead.

Aaron Carter pitched a scoreless eighth for Spokane. Justin Lamber earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth.

Pedersen allowed three consecutive singles to open the second, but escaped with no harm.

Yakima scored in the third after Spokane first baseman Doug Blosser dropped a throw on Jaime Goudie’s grounder.

Spokane’s Dan Reichert (1-3) is scheduled to make his sixth start tonight in the middle game of the three-game series.

Indians 4, Bears 1

Spokane Yakima

ab r h bi ab r h bi

Tomlinson cf 4 1 2 1 Goudie 2b 5 1 0 0

Caruso 2b 3 0 1 1 Bell ss 4 0 0 0

Brown lf 4 0 0 0 Phoenix rf 4 0 1 1

LeBron rf 4 0 0 0 Zaun 3b 3 0 1 0

Willis 3b 4 1 1 1 Riley lf 4 0 2 0

Blosser 1b 3 0 2 0 King 1b 3 0 2 0

Bautista pr 0 1 0 0 Allen ph 1 0 0 0

Petru ss 1 0 0 0 McCrotty c 3 0 1 0

Brambilla dh 4 0 0 0 Herndz dh 4 0 0 0

Hill c 3 0 0 0 Newton cf 4 0 2 0

Montas ss 4 1 1 0

Totals 34 4 7 3 Totals 35 1 9 1

Spokane 000 000 400 - 4

Yakima 001 000 000 - 1

E-Blosser 2 (9), Caruso (10), McCrotty (4), Goudie (7), Riley (8). LOB-Spokane 6, Yakima 6. 2B-Caruso (11), Newton (3). 3B-Montas (3). HR-Willis (5). SB-Goudie (18). CS-Phoenix (4), LeBron (3), Riley (2).

Spokane IP H R ER BB SO

Pedersen W,5-1 7 8 1 0 1 7

Carter 1 0 0 0 0 2

Lamber S,4 1 1 0 0 1 2 Yakima IP H R ER BB SO

Backowski L,1-10 7 6 4 3 3 6

Schmalz 2 1 0 0 0 0

WP-Backowski. PB-McCrotty 2.

T-2:51. A-1,741.