Hot Tribe Cooled Off By Hawks

John Lackey went the distance and the Boise Hawks went deep to deal the Spokane Indians just their fourth defeat in 23 games.

Lackey became just the second pitcher in the Northwest League this season to pitch a complete game, handcuffing the Indians on five hits in a 7-1 victory.

Spokane, which saw its North Division lead trimmed to 4-1/2 games, managed only an unearned run in the ninth against the 6-foot-5 righthander from Abilene, Texas.

Meanwhile, home runs accounted for five of the Boise runs as the Hawks won for the ninth time in 11 games to even the series between the North’s top two teams and widened their lead in the season series to 5-3.

Spokane, which lost a six-game winning streak, was held to four singles by Lackey through eight innings. Mark Ellis opened the game with one, James Shanks had one in the fifth, and Ken Harvey and Jacob Baker had two-out, back-to-back infield hits in the sixth.

That was the Indians’ biggest threat until the ninth when Harvey got aboard on an error, took second on Baker’s infield out and scored on Brian Johnson’s double into the right-field corner.

By that time, the Hawks had given Lackey (4-1) more than enough run support.

Chris Barski hit a solo homer in the second, Scott Bikowski belted a two-run shot in the fourth to highlight a three-run inning, and Casey Kelley continued to feast on Spokane pitching with a two-run blast to right-center in the eight. It was Kelley’s second homer off the Indians in as many nights and third vs. Spokane this year as he ran his season total to five.

Lackey struck out seven, including Jarrett Shearin and Shanks (to end the game) in the ninth, walked just one and hit a batter. Spokane starter Juan Medrano (3-2), chased after the Boise fourth, took the loss.

Indians box score, page C4