Indians Victimized By Rally

For the second straight night, the Spokane Indians jumped out to an early lead and for the second straight night the Southern Oregon Timberjacks stormed back to grab a Northwest League victory.

Sunday night, the Indians watched a five-run lead dissolve as they went on to lose 12-8. Spokane was trailing 6-1 before the Timberjacks pushed 10 runs across in the sixth and seventh innings.

Saturday night, the Indians saw a 5-0 lead turn into a 9-8 defeat.

Southern Oregon took a 1-0 lead in the first inning Sunday, but Charlie Ramirez ripped a three-run triple in the top of the second inning to put the Indians ahead 3-1.

Ramirez then scored on a wild pitch.

G.J. Raymundo extended his hitting streak to 12 games in the fifth inning with the first of three solo home runs by the Indians. Raymundo’s team-leading eighth homer put Spokane up 6-1.

The Timberjacks teed off on Indians starter Mike MacDougal in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs to pull within 6-4.

Jason Gilfillan (3-1) bore the brunt of the Timberjacks seventh-inning onslaught. The Spokane reliever gave up four runs on four hits, including Carlos Rosario’s two-run triple, and a walk and left with two runners on base and his team trailing 8-6.

Raul Garcia took the mound and Matt Howe, son of Oakland Athletics manager Art Howe, promptly greeted him with a three-run home run to put the Timberjacks up 11-6.

Mark Ellis and Casey Dunn added solo home runs in the seventh inning to cap the Indians scoring. It was Ellis’ fifth homer of the season. Dunn, whose seventh home run was one of his three hits on the night also had a pair of RBIs.