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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Yakima Brings End To Indians’ Streak King’s Ninth-Inning Home Run Deals Spokane First Home Loss After 10 Wins

If Willie King and the Yakima Bears turn around their season, they may single out Friday’s game as the main reason.

King homered to lead off the ninth inning for a 5-4 lead, then a great outfield catch in the bottom of the inning allowed the Bears to survive a Spokane rally attempt. Thus ended the Indians’ perfect record at Seafirst Stadium.

Spokane is 10-1 at home and 8-1 against Northwest League North Division rivals such as Yakima (7-17). Boise beat Everett to tie Spokane (18-6) for the top spot in the North as the teams prepare for a three-game series.

The scheduled pitching matchup for the opening game, at 7:05 tonight, is Spokane right-hander Kris Wilson (1-0, 4.58) against Boise’s Joseph Gangemi, a left-hander who has three wins.

Yakima began last year’s NWL season 7-14, but won 33 of its final 55 starts to claim the division crown. The Bears then beat Eugene two straight in the playoff between division champions for the league title.

King is one of five holdovers from the title team. He arrived in Yakima two weeks into the 1996 season, then mainly sat as Brian Sankey played first base. His tardiness came about because his high school class in Brooklyn, N.Y., didn’t graduate until June 28.

“I had to try to fit in, but it was hard to do,” King said.

He fits in now. King, a left-handed hitter, lined a low, inside, 3-2 fastball from Scott Key (1-1) far beyond the fence in right. It was his third homer of the year, but his first game-winner.

“I’m glad we pulled this one out,” said King, drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 14th round in ‘96. “It’s good to get out of here with a win.”

The Bears snapped a three-game skid, but needed good fortune in the ninth to prevent Spokane from recording its 12th comeback victory.

Chris Ochsenfeld (2-0), the third Bears pitcher, recorded one out before hitting Joe Caruso with a pitch and walking Francisco Bautista after going ahead 0-2 in the count.

With Merrell Ligons coming to bat, the Bears held a short conference at the mound. Ochsenfeld stayed in, and Ligons lined his first offering to left. Cash Riley speared the ball just before it hit the grass, and easily doubled up Caruso, who had rounded third base.

Caruso reached base in all five plate appearances, singling twice and scoring three times.

Yakima third baseman Brian Zaun drove in three runs with two doubles. His one-out, two-run double in the eighth tied the game at 4.

Spokane led 2-0, after Doug Blosser singled home Caruso in the first and Rod Metzler doubled and scored on a passed ball in the third.

Bautista had replaced Dermal Brown in the fourth. Brown, the NWL leader in eight categories, took a seat after not running out an infield pop fly with two on and nobody out.

Notes

Spokane infielder Rico Montas is 11 for 24 (.458) in July… . The Spokane record for consecutive home victories remains at 18, set at the end of the 1939 season… . The Famous Chicken, formerly the San Diego Chicken, pays his annual visit tonight.

, DataTimes